Harlem to Delancey
by DocHollidaysGal85
Summary: Sequel to The King and I. Harlem and Brooklyn at war and the newsies' lives have been turned upside down. At the same time the Delancey's missing sister, Emily, reappears from thin air. Now, the newsies and must befriend a Delancey to end the Newsie War.
1. The Newsie War & Meet Emily Delancey

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters (but a girl can dream, LOL). I own Emily Delancey, Jacob and his sons, Wolf, and Bandit. Floaty and Katrina belong to DimensionalTraveller._**

**_(A/N: Hi everyone, here is the first chapter. I hope you all like it. :-) Check out Firefly Conlon's story, "In His Arms" it's an awesome story.)_**

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_**"It's a rumor,**_  
_** A legend,**_  
_** A mystery!**_  
_** Something whispered in an alleyway**_  
_** Or through a crack!**_  
_** It's a rumor**_  
_** That's part of our history."**_

_**-Rumor in St. Petersburg, Anastasia-**_

_**June 1, 1898**_

"I'm sorry dat Spot wouldn't let ya become a newsie, Em."

16 year old Emily Delancey shrugged nonchalantly, as if Spot's behavior hadn't hurt her. In truth, the fact he turned her down hurt. She had met the leader of the Harlem newsies, Spot's younger brother, and found him boyishly handsome but immature. Spot, however, she had fallen head over heels for a month ago when Vampire introduced them. It was a few days after that she went to Manhattan attempting to become a newsie; Jack Kelly had refused to let her step foot in a lodging house since she was a Delancey. Now, Spot refused to let her become any borough's newsie _and_ he crushed her heart when he pulled his second-in-command, Chancy, into his embrace.

"Ain't no big deal," she replied and glanced up at the starry sky as she and the newsie, Dusty, began walking over the Brooklyn bridge. She had something the newsies would never have, her brothers. She knew the real Oscar and Morris, not the tough talking and acting goons the newsies knew. Her older brothers were her best friends. But if they knew she had been trying to become a newsie they would have blown their tops like angry volcanoes.

Emily looked up, snapped out of her thoughts by a loud scream. She glanced at Dusty who looked back at her startled. The two paused for a minute and winced through the darkness of the cloudy night. After a long pause there was no more noise, but the scream – which sounded like a woman's scream – had been very near and bone chilling.

"Stay here," Dusty ordered.

"Don't tell me what ta do," Emily followed after him, "If dere's someone up there, we'll fight 'im together."

"Will you just…." Dusty walked into one of the shadows cast by the bridge's towers. Emily froze in her tracks, he had stopped talking in midsentence. Tucking a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear, she narrowed her emerald green eyes and leaned forward. Still, she heard nothing.

"Dusty?" Her heart pounded and her stomach twisted when she received no reply. "Dusty….This isn't funny…." Still, no reply; her mouth went dry and she felt as if her feet were glued to the ground. _I can go back ta Brooklyn and get help…._Something suddenly grabbed her shoulder. Taking in a shaky breath, Emily slowly turned her heart racing and her mouth becoming as dry as sandpaper. A second later her horrified shriek pierced the night.

_**Two Years Later…**_

"How is she?" Spot watched as the doctor exited the bunkroom; his stomach twisted. When Floaty passed out in his arms his heart had leapt into his throat. She had been so pale and seemed to be as fragile as a porcelain doll. His left arm was still sticky with blood from Floaty's head wound.

The elderly doctor, a friend of Kloppman's, carefully shut the door. "I won't say she'll be ready to jump up and sell newspapers any time soon. However, I think she will be alright, but with the head wound she has you need to keep a close eye on her. Are you certain she was awake and lucid?"

Spot paused, "Loos-eed?" _What da hell does dat mean?_

"Lucid. Was she thinking clearly?"

"She seemed ta be. How is she now?"

"Unconscious, its good she woke up for whatever time she did. However, if you see any signs of irregularity in her breathing, movement, and if she does not wake up by at least tomorrow at noon come and get me. She may have brain swelling."

Spot felt as if a newspaper wagon had just run him over. His blank expression must have spoken louder than words since the doctor rephrased his sentence.

"If she stops breathing and moving her brain may have swelled. The brain is a muscle and when and if it is injured it swells. I'm no expert in this field, but I have a friend who has performed risky surgeries that have saved many lives. He lives in Boston and I can call him and ask him to be here to help us….However, fee is expensive."

"We'll find a way ta pay it," Spot assured.

The doctor nodded, "Very well then….I think she will be alright, son. Seeing that she woke up before I arrived is a good sign, she's a strong one."

Spot nodded and watched the doctor take his leave. Anger coursed through his veins like boiling liquid steel. _Dis is Vampire's fault! He figures I took da girl he loved, so he's gonna take da girl I love. He'll learn oddawise, or me name ain't Spot Conlon!_ Taking a deep breath, Spot twisted the door knob and walked into his bunkroom. Floaty was lying on her back under the covers, her eyes shut and her breathing steady. The doctor had cleaned the back of her head and wrapped gauze bandages around it. He noticed a folded piece of cloth where her wound was, the doctor had called it a pressure bandage.

"Heya Floats," he said softly, "I'm gonna get Vampire and Oscar for dis. And I hope ya wake up again soon, 'cause Katrina really wants to see her mother, and I really want to see ya too." Spot walked out of the bunkroom a few minutes later and sat down on the top stair of the second story landing beside Sport.

"How'd it go?" His second-in-command and close friend questioned.

"Doc think she'll be okay, says she's strong since she woke up earlier. I don't know if I shoulda told her about Emily, Sport. Dat's da last thing she needs ta be dreamin' of."

"Knowing Floats she's probably dreamin' of ways to end da war with Harlem." Sport smirked and the two friends began to chuckle.

"Yeah, she lives up to her real first name. She told me da other day 'Emmalyn' means Hard Working."

"Well, her fadda did name her right," Sport nodded. Their conversation was abruptly ended when Racetrack past a few Brooklyn newsies and stumbled up the stairs. Spot stood and climbed down a few steps to meet with his fellow newsie.

"What's goin' on, Race?"

The Italian newsie panted and shoved a worn piece of paper into Spot's hand, "From Harlem."

Spot raised an eyebrow and unfolded the paper, another round of anger coursed through him. _We'll be back for the Queen. Just remember Spot, Humpty-Dumpty sat high on his wall, and then he had a great fall. –Vampire – _He scrunched the paper into a small ball and shoved it into his pocket and looked at Race, "Who gave ya dat message?"

Race stared at him, stunned. "What's goin' on, Spot?"

"I said who gave ya da message?"

"A Harlem newsie, I think I heard his friend call him Bandit."

Spot sneered, "Bandit. Vampiah's second in command. Damn it!" He was about to punch his fist through the wall when Sport stopped him.

"Ya gotta tell him, Spot. Jack would never forgive ya if ya never told Race what happened to Floats."

"Floats? Is Floaty awright?" Racetrack's eyes had widened and his skin had paled. "What happened?"

Spot took off his hat and shoved it into his pocket. "Vixen and Oscar Delancey somehow got into dis lodgin' house. I forgot me cane…" his voice caught in his throat for a minute, "And Oscah hit her wid it. He hit her on back of da head so hard she was bleedin'….She was almost killed. Oscah remembered who her uncle was and ran; Floats woke up when I got into da room, but she passed out again a minute after. Da doctor says he thinks she'll be awright."

Race nodded, "I'll tell Jack. We'll end dis with Harlem for once and for all."

Spot squared his jaw and made a decision, "Tell Jack dere's gonna be a leader's meetin' tonight on da docks. I want Manhattan, Queens, da Bronx, and Midtown dere." Unfortunately Little Italy and Long Island had sided with Harlem. They seemed to stupidly believe Vampire would be better a better King than Spot would.

Race nodded, "Do ya want us to send someone ovah to stay wid Floaty?"

Spot paused, "Yeah, I want you and Mush here wid me newsies, Wolf and Gunslingah."

The Italian newsie nodded and turned to leave, he stopped in midtrack. "Can I see Floaty?"

Spot nodded, "Yeah, go ahead."

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**_August, 2010_**

18 year old Emily Coughlin nervously sat down on one of the benches of the antique ferry. Self consciously, she pushed a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear; she cleared her throat and sat as far from the window as possible. She didn't know how to swim and the ocean terrified her. But she was taking a tour around her home city of New York in the vintage ferry because her grandmother had begged her too. The request had been strange, but Emily loved her grandmother deeply; she was a tough older woman with a heart of gold. It was only a week after her funeral and already Emily felt as if she had lost a sister instead of a grandparent. She glanced down at her grandmother's antique locket; it was made of brass and carved to look like a book. Inside were pictures of two men, a tall one with dark hair and a younger one with light hair.

_All you have to do is wear locket while you take the tour, that's it._ Her grandmother had told her on her death bed. Anytime Emily had questioned why she needed to wear the locket, her grandmother would just smile and say, 'remember the names Oscar and Morris Delancey.' Now, Emily sat aboard the ferry wondering if the two men were of any relation to her grandmother, Emily Delancey.

"Now we are passing the Brooklyn docks, if you look to your left you will see a wooden platform that's just above the water. In the late 1800's and early 1900's this was the Brooklyn Lodging House, home to the Newsie King of New York, Spot Conlon. If it were not for this newsboy the newsie strike of 1899 would have never occurred, it was his 'okay' that joined all the newsboys and girls of New York together. Now, if you look to your right…."

The rest of the tour had been interesting; if she had still been in high school she could have written a great history paper. She stood and walked towards the exit of the ferry.

"Did you enjoy your trip, miss?" The guide smiled to her; he couldn't have been a day older than 17. _That's odd….The guides have to be at least twenty one to get this job. Maybe he's just an assistant?_

"It was great….Very interesting," she smiled and nervously stared at the gangplank. The ferry had kept bobbing back and forth, up and down, causing the wooden walkway to slide and wiggle. Her arms and shoulders tensed, she didn't want to fall in. Looking back at the guide, she saw he was staring at her clothing oddly until he noticed that her gaze had returned to him. Blushing he gave a sheepish smile, "Would you like some help down, miss?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." She quipped and took a small step forward. _One step at a time...just don't look down._ Fear caused her stomach to tighten and her mouth to become as dry as cotton. She focused on taking small steps down the moving gangplank, halfway to land the wooden plank almost turned over. She gave a small shriek as she lost her balance and began to tumble towards the looming ocean. Her heart raced as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Suddenly, a hand grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her onto land. Opening her eyes, Emily found herself staring into a single blue eye.

"Are you awright, miss?"

Her rescuer was a tall boy with longer light blonde hair, a leather patch over his left eye, and a smile that could melt the iciest of hearts. Emily noticed that he too dressed oddly, as if he were back in the last century.

Giving a shaky smile, she nodded. "I….I really don't do well with the ocean."

"Den why were you on da ferry?" He winced, "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I was taking a historic tour for my grandmother; it was her last request before she passed."

"Aw, geez, that was kind and brave of ya." The boy scratched the back of his neck; his expression filled with discomfort…or was it embarrassment? Pausing for a moment, Emily looked around and once again her stomach flipped; gone was the New York she remembered. The streets were now cobblestone, horses pulling wagons and carriages passed by as newsboys shouted faked headlines. The streets were lined with businessmen in black suits, bowler hats, and top hats. Working women wore blouses and long ankle length skirts that were pretty, strong, and inexpensive. Their richer counterparts wore long elegant lacy dresses that screamed 'money'.

"Ya look like you've seen a ghost." The boy commented.

"Where…Where am I?"

"Ya don't know where ya are?" The boy stared at her in surprise.

"I…New York….I think…."

"Yeah."

"What year?"

He gave her another odd glance, "1900."

"Lordy Lou," She whispered, her face paling. _My grandmother sent me back in time!_

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Sport flipped through the page of the afternoon pape and glanced up at Floaty's sleeping form. Spot and a small group of newsies, they were patrolling the Brooklyn streets for any Harlem newsies. Sadly it was now necessary, Floaty was no longer the only victim of the fight with Harlem. Lefty had been soaked, Wolf and Bandit discovered him in an alleyway between a restaurant and clothing store.

Putting down his paper he stood and walked over to Katrina's crib. The small baby was kicking her legs and had her tiny fingers wrapped around her teddy bear's paw. "Hey dere, kiddo," he greeted, "You look just like yer mommy."

Katrina stared up at him and giggled. Sport smiled; although Katrina looked almost just like her mother, she had her father's confident grin. Reaching into the crib he carefully pulled her out and placed her head on his shoulder and walked around the room with her. _Maybe one day I'll have me own kid?_ After a minute he noticed the bottom of Katrina's baby gown was damp and the air began to smell sour.

"Oh no…." He groaned, "Ya didn't….Tell me ya didn't!" He held his breath and felt his stomach flip. The smell was disgusting, how did Floaty deal with it while she changed and washed the baby's catch-cloth? He laid Katrina down on her stomach and pulled up her skirt, pulling back the edge of her diaper he lunged away. "Oh….Oh!" He stumbled over to a window and struggled with it until it finally slid open. Sticking his head out the window he gasped in fresh air. After his recovery, he shut the window and returned to Katrina and glanced at Floaty, in hopes she was awake. She was still unconscious. _Damn. _The only other newsies in the lodging house with himself and Floaty were Wolf and Bandit, and those two wouldn't touch a poopy diaper to save their lives.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Sport went towards the closet to find a clean catch-cloth. He was beginning to hate the job of second-in-command.

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Blink wasn't sure what to make out of the girl before him. When he first saw her inching off the gang plank he had done a double take. Now, after he saved it, he knew for sure he was seeing who he thought he'd seen….Emily, the Delancey brother's baby sister. Two years ago she had vanished without a trace; now she stood before him, soft spoken, shy, and terrified of the ocean. The Emily he had met two years ago seemed to be fearless and she loved the ocean. Now, she was back and she was acting strange, she didn't even recognize him. _Maybe she has dat am-neez-yah_ _da papes sometimes talk about_. _But what about dat clothin'?_

Emily was wearing a bright pink blouse under an open and baggy button down shirt. Even stranger were her trousers, they were made of denim like overalls; only they didn't have a bib. Then there were her shoes –that were white, gray, and pink and made of a fabric he didn't recognize.

"Um….Are ya lost, miss?" Did she even remember who she was?

"Yes, I am." Her voice shook, "My home was different, not like this….It….It was filled with cars, planes, trains, and subways. The road was asphalt…" she stopped when she realized she was babbling. Blink's breath was almost taken away when she stared at up him, she looked so afraid and it broke his heart.

_Planes, trains, automobiles? Maybe she's talkin' about Henry Ford's horseless carriage?_ _But what da hell is a subway and a plane?_ Blink was puzzled, this new Emily was strange. And obviously where ever she had gone, she had forgotten all about her past and now she was home without any recollection of her life. This was all too strange. There was one way to know is this was truly Emily or not.

"What's yer name?"

"Emily Cou...Delancey….Emily Delancey."

Blink paused; at least she remembered her name though she sounded uncertain for a moment. Smiling he held out his hand, "Kid Blink, but all me friends call me Blink."

Emily gave a small smile, "Hi Blink, it's nice to meet you."

"Ya don't remembah me do ya?" He asked. Her face went from somewhat calm to pale and nervous; she shook her head. "Dat's okay," he smiled, "We didn't talk much before ya disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Do ya remembah anythin' about dis place?"

Staring at him, as if confused, she shook her head and gripped the strap of her pink clutch bag tightly. Blink shook his head, Emily and her clothing kept getting stranger; that was the first clutch bag he'd ever seen with a strap.

"Well den….I guess it's up to me to tell ya what I know while I take ya home."

"I have a home here?" She sounded so surprised.

"Of course ya do! Wid your two oldah bruddas, Oscar and Morris."

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"How's Floaty doin'?" Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly questioned as he and the other newsie leaders who were on Brooklyn's side gathered around Spot. All were anxious to hear about the newsie queen's condition.

"She'll be awright," Spot replied, "We're just waitin' for her to wake up." He paced back and forth, "As you all know Harlem started a war wid Brooklyn when Vampire sent Vixen after me goil."

The leaders of Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Midtown looked relieved. The leader of the Bronx was a taller newsgirl with curly brown hair, everyone called her gunslinger. Her real name was Felicity Holliday, the daughter of the famous gunslinger, Doc Holliday. She and Floaty had become close friends after Alley left Brooklyn to join the Boston newsies.

"So are we gonna stand around here feelin' sorry that Floaty was attacked or are we going to do somethin' about it?" She crossed her arms and sat on a short piling. "Maybe you want to tip-toe around this war, Spot, but we can't. It's here and the only way to put an end to it is either by fighting off Bronx or for you to talk to Vampire."

Spot narrowed his eyes, grabbed his cane from his belt loop, and slammed it down on the wooden planks of the dock so hard the other leaders jumped. He shoved the top of the cane in Gunslinger's face, "I respect yer fadda's reputation, and I respect you. But if ya ever talk to me like dat again, I will have ya demoted to second in command and Blade over dere will be leader of da Bronx. Ya understand me? If ya think I ain't angry about dis yer wrong! Dey attacked me goil!" He turned his back for a moment and didn't notice the smirks the other leaders exchanged with one another. "I ain't takin' dis lying down, but dere's a reason I don't go off into Harlem ready to soak deys leader." He paused and took a deep breath. The secret he had been keeping for so long was now going to be exposed, "Vampire is me little brudda."

"What?" The leaders cried out in unison, causing their second-in-commands, who stood a few feet away, to look at them.

"Lower yer voices," Spot growled, "Dis stays between us. Everyone here knows dat Emily Delancey went missin' two years ago, what ya didn't know is before she did Vampire fell in love wid her. Emily didn't like him, she said he gave her da creeps. She came to Brooklyn wantin' to become a newsie…." He paused and inhaled. His mistake had been sending her away, if he hadn't maybe she would still be New York and this war wouldn't have started. "I told her no and sent Dusty to take her home…..Da two disappeared dat night. For two years Vampire's been convinced dat it's me fault da girl he wants is gone. Now since da strike is over and dere's nothin' to stop him…he's started a war wid Brooklyn. And it ain't gonna end until I'm either humiliated, dead, or Emily returns."

"Wait, I thought dat story about Emily Delancey was a rumor, somethin' da Delanceys made up for a good and creepy Halloween story," Gunslinger frowned.

Jack scowled, "It's true. We saw her all da time, den one day, she was gone. How could ya all think dis was a rumor?"

"Well she couldn't just vanish! We figured that the Delanceys just wanted attention." Gunslinger shrugged.

"Well she did just vanish!" Spot snapped, "She's gone and no one knows what happened ta her or me newsie. So yeah, dat rumor is true."

The leaders and their second-in-commands all fell silent for a long minute. It was the leader of midtown, a short and muscular boy who had been nicknamed Mouse because of his beady dark brown eyes and shaggy ash brown hair. Although his nickname sounded harmless and laughable, he was smart, strong, and allowed his appearance and nickname to trick his enemies into thinking him a fool.

"Well, first off, Emily Delancey is real and she's gone….She ain't comin' back. No one knows what happened it's a mystery, and it will probably stay dat way. Dat's settled, let's not bring her up again. Secondly, we all know ya, dere ain't no way Vampire's gonna be able to kill ya….Humiliate ya, maybe if he tries real hard. If you can't fight Harlem because of yer brudda, den let us do it for ya. Brooklyn's always been tough for us, now it's time we be tough for ya."

The leaders nodded in agreement. Spot frowned, "T'anks, Mouse, but dis is somethin' I gotta fight too. I ain't lettin' Vampire get away wid almost killing Floats. For all I know he could have wanted Vixen to kill Katrina too. We need to come up wid a plan."

Cowboy was the first to speak up, "First, I say everyone sells deys papes in pairs. Harlem's out for blood and if dey see a lone newsie deys gonna take da chance to soak him or her."

Spot nodded, "Dey don't play by da rules. Dat's rule one: older newsies sell deys papes in groups of two. Rule two, newsgirls have to be accompanied by a strong newsboy, dat goes for you too, Gunslingah."

"I don't need a shadow, Spot. I'm tough enough ta soak a Harlemer!"

"I know ya are, but dis is for everyone." Spot raised his voice over her arguing, "We're da leaders, we gotta lead by example! If we break da rules, da others will break da rules. Why follow rules yer leader doesn't follow?"

Gunslinger went quiet, "Fine…" she muttered.

"Thirdly, I need each borough to volunteer to send two newsies ta Brooklyn each mornin', dey can leave when I get back tad a lodgin' house, den another borough sends two newsies da next day, and we keep dat cycle goin'. I want dere to be people in dat lodgin' house with Floaty."

"I'll send Badger and Cactus over tomorrow," Gunslinger volunteered.

"Jake and Pie Eater da day after dat," Jack exclaimed.

"Mischief and Banks after dat," Mouse said as he leaned against a piling.

"I'll send Red and Pirate," the leader of the Queens borough offered. The Queens leader, Warrior, was a tall and soft spoken newsie. He always appeared too laid back, but every newsie knew he was like a cat stalking its prey: Slow and seemingly harmless until he attacked.

"When are we goin' into Harlem?" Jack questioned, "I need to get me newsies ready for dat."

"We ain't goin' into fight at first," Spot exclaimed. "I'm usin' a trick Floats used durin' da strike when she'd con people into thinkin' she was someone else. I need everyone to gather yer newsies, boys and girls. Bring dem to Brooklyn; we'll have good clothes for them waiting. Da boys are gonna be dock workers tonight, and da girls are gonna be ladies of the night."

"I ain't comfortable with that," Mouse frowned. "Da newsgirls we got are tough yeah, but….Prostitutes? C'mon Spot, even ya got more respect for girls den dat."

"Deys ain't gonna sleep wid da newsies," Spot exclaimed, "Deys gonna get the Harlem newsies drunk….Drunk enough to befriend a bunch of 'drunken' dock workers."

The leaders glanced at one another and smiled. Jack nodded, "Dat's a good plan, Spot, a damned good one. We can learn about deys next move den meet up here da night after tomorrow and make a plan."

Spot nodded, "Good. You all go tell yer newsies what's goin on…But do not tell dem about Vampire bein' me brudda."

"Why does that have to be such a huge secret?" Warrior asked as he crossed his arms. "Yer brothers, so what? Every newsie has at least one friend turned enemy, or even a family member dey don't like. They'll understand."

"No…Dey won't. Deys will wonder why the Leader of Brooklyn, da toughest and most powerful newsie in New York, allowed things to get dis bad. Dat's da same thing you all are wonderin', I can see it on yer faces."

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Emily stared in awe at the city of Manhattan. It seemed calmer and almost kinder compared to Brooklyn. She glanced at Blink; he had been quiet for most of the walk. She guessed he was just as freaked out as she was, only he was probably wondering why she, 'Emily Delancey' was acting so strangely. At the same time she was wondering about the true identity of her grandmother. She had given her a note and told her only to open it if she found Oscar and Morris Delancey. The note would explain everything. _It had better. I'm lost, alone, away from my family, and I'm scared. I don't know anything about this time other than what I've learned in history books. I don't know the currency, how women are supposed to act, and I don't even know my own family! I should have never gotten onto that ferry!_

"Well, here we are," Blink exclaimed as they walked through two tall black iron gates leading to a long building. "Da World Distrubution center, da Delanceys….Uh yer bruddas, and yer uncle Weasel…Wiesel…Live here."

Emily watched as he stopped on the wooden platform. "Aren't you going in with me?"

"No way," he shook his head. "Newsies and Delanceys don't get along."

"_We_ get along."

"Yeah, well, ya were never quite like yer bruddas." Blink tipped the brim of his hat to her. "I hope to see ya again, Emily Delancey, and I hope ya remember who you are. Tell yer bruddas what you told me, dey'll understand…."

Emily nodded, "I will. Thank you so much Blink, for everything. I hope to see you seen." She watched as he turned and walked out of the distribution center's gates. Nervously, Emily turned around; once again she was on her own. She peeked through the barred window of the building; she could hear men's voices and laughter. _My grandmother's brothers are in there. Their probably like grandmom, so I'll be OK. Right?_ Taking a deep breath, Emily raised her fist and knocked on the door.

"Waddya wanted?" A gruff voice barked out at her.

"Um….I'm here to see Oscar and Morris Delancey…."

"Fine, wait a minute." The gruff voice replied.

Emily took a step away from the door and could hear two voices talking. One was deep, the other was slightly lighter. The door swung open a minute later and Emily found herself staring at her great uncles Oscar and Morris. Her heart pounded as she stared at Morris, he was tall with long dark brown hair and brown eyes. A thin black mustache grew on his upper lip; he was slightly taller than his brother and he looked as tough as nails. Oscar was a few inches shorter than his brother, his hair was short and blonde; like his older brother he had brown eyes.

"Um…."

"Emily?" Morris questioned as he stepped forward, "Is dat you?"

_Not the Emily you're thinking of! But I'm going to have to be! I don't have a choice! _She nodded, "I don't remember much….I um…." She shifted nervously; she couldn't tell them she was Emily Coughlin, their baby sister's granddaughter! She was going to have to watch what she told people more carefully. She could have altered time by telling Blink of future inventions. "I….never lost the locket you gave me…" She held up the book shaped locket.

"Emmy!" Oscar exclaimed.

Emily's eyes widened as the two Delanceys lunged forward and wrapped their arms around her in a bone crushing hug. They pulled her into the distribution center and asked where she had been, why she was acting so strangely, and twice they asked about her 'strange' clothing.

"I've been living in….Boston with an inventor. He said he found me passed out…." Emily paused, her grandmother loved the Brooklyn bridge, "…The Brooklyn bridge. I was pretty beat up, he adopted me and took me in as his own daughter. Everything I'm wearing is his invention, he calls it 'light' clothing." She explained, but soon realized her explanations were falling on deaf ears since now her uncle 'Weasel' had come in and gave her a quick hug.

"Welcome back," he exclaimed. "Now dat yer back, yer goin' back to work! Oscar, Morris, get her some decent clothes and teach her how to do her old job."

_Well then, hello to you too!_ Emily thought to herself as her 'brothers' led her towards a room she presumed was hers. _This is going to take some getting used too…._


	2. Secret of the Locket & A New Plan

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or its characters, they belong to Disney. I do not own Floaty or Katrina, they belong to DT. I own Mouse, Warrior, Gunslinger, Vixen, and Bandit.**_

_**(A/N: hi everyone, thank you all so much for the great reviews. Sorry this chapter took so long to be posted….It's been a hard few days. One of my pet rabbits, Mr. Man, passed away on Saturday night. :'-( )**_

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Vampire Conlon was only a few inches shorter than his brother, his hair a darker shade of brown, and his eyes were gray with yellow and green speckles. The newsies could see the family resemblance in the brothers, but at the same time could see the differences. Vampire's face was a little longer, his nose slightly pointed, and an aura of hate and menace seemed to float around him like a cape. Like Spot, he carried a cane; however, his was topped with a silver snake. The cane was one of the few reasons newsies in other boroughs referred to him as Snake, since one never knew when or where he would strike, or how dangerous his attack would be.

"The newsies are playin' on trickin' us tonight," Vixen commented as she walked into the room, her hips swaying. To some, she was beautiful, while others mistook her for a lady of the night. Spot knew her as a spy who had tricked him for three years, making him think she was his trustworthy second-in-command, Chancy – when really she was Vixen, Vampire's girlfriend. Like Vampire, she gave very little care or concern toward fellow man kind as long as she got what she wanted.

"Are dey now?" Vampire unscrewed the metal cap of his beer flask and took a long swig; he offered it to Vixen who turned away. Unlike him, she preferred her mind to be unclouded by the alcohol.

"A few of the newsgirls are gonna pretend to be prostitutes, while da guys ah gonna be drunken dock workers who are goin' to try to trick our newsies into gettin' drunk."

Vampire snorted, "Me brother's an idiot."

Vixen crossed her arms, "I find it ridiculous we're warring wid him because of Emily Delancey. She's a _Delancey_, and I thought newsies and Delanceys were supposed ta hate one another."

"Says da girl who fell for Morris Delancey while me back was turned."

Vixen tensed when Vampire slowly turned and stared at her. The atmosphere in the room was chilling and her boyfriend often scared her with his eerily calm, cool, and collected behavior. She had seen him beat a newsie into a bloody pulp, wash off his hands, and go out for dinner afterwards as if nothing had happened. Sometimes she wondered why she stayed with him, but she already knew the answer to that one. Part of her still loved him, a small part of her, and she was terrified of him. If she attempted to leave Vampire, only Lord knows what he would do. When Emily had fallen for Spot instead him, the Harlem newsies had thought he would kill her. _Maybe he did kill her and Dusty, and dat's why no one's ever found dem._

"I was tryin' to keep in da character of Chancy, she took chances, remembah?"

He snorted, "No, ya were tryin' to get back at me for fallin' in love wid Morris's little sister."

Vixen swallowed, that was partly true. When she had learned her boyfriend was pining for the youngest Delancey she had been angry and jealous. From that moment on she flirted with Morris until he finally courted her – and later during the strike, almost killed her.

"Vampiah!"

Vampire and Vixen turned. "What?" he snapped at his closest friend and second-in-command, Bandit. The short boy with the shifty brown eyes had gotten his name for being a pick pocket until Vampire got hold of him, made him into a newsie, and befriended him.

"Emily Delancey's back."

Vampire dropped his flask, "Where is she?"

"In Manhattan, wid her brothers."

Vixen stared at Bandit. Emily Delancey was alive. She was back. This could be good or bad, and part of Vixen didn't want to stick around to see the outcome.

* * *

The collar and front of Spot's favorite blue shirt was soaked in sweat, he had tucked his dark gray hat into his trouser pocket, and he was exhausted. After the leader's meeting had ended, he had sold papes as if there were no tomorrow. Anything to avoid returning to the lodging house; he was afraid that one day he'd step through his bunkroom door and find Floaty cold and still. He placed a sweaty palm onto the doorknob and paused for a long moment….Maybe Floats would be awake? He pulled open the door and held his breath, hope made his heart pound faster. Walking into the dimly lit room he noticed Sport asleep in the rocking chair with Katrina in his arms. Glancing towards the bed his heart broke, Floaty was still unconscious.

He carefully picked Katrina up and placed her into her crib, amazed that she hadn't woken up. Smiling, he leaned over the crib's railing and placed a feather light kiss on her cheek. "I love ya, baby." Turning, he jumped almost ten feet high.

"Damn it, Jack, don't do _dat_!" Spot sighed and sat down on the edge of his bunk, "What ah ya doin' in Brooklyn at dis time a'night?"

"Sorry Spot," Jack shrugged, "It was an emergency." He walked to the head of the bed and looked down at Floaty. "How's she doin'?"

Spot stared at him for a long minute, "What do you think, Jacky-boy?"

"Yeah, well, Spot….Bein' bitter ain't gonna help things any. I came over because Blink just told me some news….News that may help ya feel better."

"What news could dat be?" Spot untied his shoe and half heartedly listened to his friend.

"Emily Delancey's back….She's wid Oscar and Morris."

Spot froze and took a minute to process the information, "You sure?"

"Oh yeah, Blink walked her back to da distribution center. She even introduced herself to him as Emily Delancey, only thing is she was wearin' some real odd clothin' and she doesn't remembah anythin' but her name."

"How da hell does someone forget deys entire life but remember deys name?" Spot asked and shook his head, that didn't make sense to him.

"Sometimes…..Something so bad happens….They don't want to remember…."

Spot glanced at Jack, and Jack glanced back at him. Turning, a smile crossed Spot's face; Floaty was looking up at him through half opened eyes.

"Hey you…" he stood up and gave her a long and gentle hug before sitting on the side of the bed and holding her hand. "How ya feelin'?"

"Strange….My head feels like a balloon but it hurts at da same time….How are you? Is Katrina ok?"

"I'm doin' good, Floats, even better now dat yer awake. Katrina's fine, she fell asleep on Sleepin' Beauty over dere," Spot smiled; his shoulders relaxed and the sparkle returned to his eyes as he nodded towards Sport, who was snoring so hard Spot was surprised that the paint wasn't peeling off the walls. "I was worried sick about ya….We all were. Look, Jacky-boy came all da way from Manhattan to see ya."

"Heya Floats," Cowboy tipped his hat.

"Hi Jack, Spot's a liar." Floaty chuckled, "But a kind one. I'm glad Emily's back, is she alright?"

"Except for da memory loss she's fine." Jack shrugged, "Blink talked to her and said she was speakin' crazy about 'air planes' and 'subways' – whatever dose things are."

Floaty shrugged, "Who knows….At least she's safe. How about you talk to her? See if she can help you end this war wid Harlem?"

Both the Brooklyn and Manhattan leaders looked horrified.

"You said if you could find you'd talk to her…." Floaty started, confused.

"No, no way." Spot shook his head, "She's a Delancey, Floats."

"Whose two older bruddas put Crutchy in da refuge, soak us newsies whenever given da chance, and one of whom almost killed _you_!" Jack added.

"So all that 'I'll find Emily Delancey and see if we can end the war with Harlem' was just a bunch of hot air? I don't believe that, Spot. You've already said she was different from her brothers…..So the moment she's away from them, even if it's for a minute, _talk to her_. If she can end the fighting, stop people from getting hurt, then what's to lose? Even if she doesn't talk to you, you would have tried and you can keep trying….And if you can't get through, have Blink talk to her."

"For someone who just woke up, yer talkative," Spot smirked after a minute.

Floaty blushed, "Well, I've been asleep for hours and I'm not the least bit tired."

"Good den, cause we're gonna need yer help," Jack exclaimed. He explained the plan to her to send some newsies into a bar where the Harlem newsies often gathered. "Da oddas are down stairs."

"I can help the girls get into the roles…."

"No," Spot exclaimed as he put on his old shoes, which were scuffed, muddy, and worn….What people would expect a dock worker to be wearing. He, Jack, Gunslinger, and the other leaders would sit in the darkest corner of the bar to watch the progress of their con.

"Spot," Floaty said softly and slowly, "I'm fine."

"If you were fine, ya wouldn't have been unconscious!"

"Spot, let me help. Because you know I will find a way around you."

The Newsie King fell silent, "Fine. You can teach dem what to do, but den it's straight back to bed!"

Floaty smirked and saluted, "Sir, yes sir!"

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Emily sat down on her bed, her shoulders ached, her back hurt, and her arms felt ready to fall out of their sockets. She never knew sorting and handing out papers was so much work. It was a long and dull job handing the papers to her 'brothers', but she was glad she wasn't having to carry the newspapers all around Manhattan and trying to sell them. After allowing herself to rest for a minute, she knelt down in front of her nightstand and pulled the second drawer open and grabbed her jeans. Looking through the pockets, she finally found the folded up note she was looking for.

"Night, Em!" Oscar called from outside her door.

"Night, Oscar!"

"Glad yer home, Emily!" Morris called out.

"Me too!" She replied, trying sound truthful. _I can't wait to get home, to 2010. There's got to be a way! _

"Night." Weasel grunted.

"Night Uncle Weas," Emily replied and waited for a few minutes until she heard doors close. She folded the jeans and put them back into the drawer, then turned her attention to the note. She carefully unfolded it, hoping not to tear it and trying to make as little noise as possible. She didn't want the Delanceys coming in and taking the note from her. _This may be my only way home._

She finished unfolding the note and began to read it; she recognized both her grandmother and grandfather's handwriting.

_Dearest Emily,_

_If you are reading this, then you are in my home sometime in the 1900's. I assume you have met my older brothers, Oscar and Morris. I know they tend to appear…harsh, but truly they are good men who pretend not to be. Perhaps you will see them differently than I, since I am their birth sister. I need to tell you the truth, Emily. I was born in 1881in Germany; my parents were poor farmers and they wanted Oscar, Morris, and myself to have a better life. I never knew my parents, but Oscar and Morris have told me stories; mother was in poor health and father was facing jail for not paying his taxes._

_When my Uncle Wiesel told my parents he was immigrating to America, he agreed to take us children with him. He raised us by himself. He raised Oscar and Morris to be tough, strong, and despise anyone who gets in their way. Uncle Wiesel, or "Uncle Weas," as we called him, had no idea how to raise a girl – so I was raised with the same upbringing. However, Oscar and Morris raised me as well; and there were certain times that they would let me spend the night with a singer named Medda. She would teach me more about being a woman. If you meet her know that she'll never judge you. However, I must warn you, I loved to sing, and I promise you that she will have you sing in Irving Hall one day. She'll probably want you to sing our favorite song we always sang to the newsies called 'Off to the Races Again' (I've included the song lyrics at the end of this letter)._

_Now that you know more about me, I will tell you what happened that night…._

As Emily read the letter, she felt as if she were living the experience through her grandmother's eyes. First, she was walking over the bridge with a newsie named Dusty, who turned out to be her grandfather. Then, as he walked under the shadow of one of the Brooklyn Bridge's support beams, he vanished into thin air. Emily's grandmother had been terrified and hoped the newsboy was playing a trick on her; he wasn't. A minute later she had felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned to find a tall man in strange clothing, his face was painted with different shades of greens and browns, and he was bleeding from his shoulder. He wanted to know where he was and how he had gotten there. The only other thing Emily Delancey had noticed of him was his last name: Kloppman.

Horrified,she had backed away until she tripped over a small crack on the bridge and fell over the railing. When she woke up was in a hospital and the year was 1944; she had been found by one of the women riveters who helped to make the battleships in World War II. After a year of living near the ship making factory and working as a riveter, she left and tried to find her way home. It was during 1945 she found Dusty, he worked as a handyman. The two agreed to stay close together and married five years later. Then, almost ten years later in 1954 they had their first son. _My father_, Emily thought to herself and kept reading.

_I tried desperately to find a way home, but never could until one day your father was on the internet buying tickets for an antique ferry tour. I thought perhaps it was the ferry that brought me back in time, but I knew that was impossible. There were no ferries running at that time of night in 1897. However, I knew the water had something to do with it, then I realized something about my locket….It's cover is fake. If you pry the cover off, you'll find the cover is actually made of turquoise, I don't know if my parents knew this when they put it around my neck as a baby. I think it and the water is what brought _me_ into 1944….I don't know how your grandfather arrived back in time. But if you are back in the nineteen hundreds, then I know either the locket, the water, or maybe as your grandfather suggested the magic of the bridge, is what brought you back. _

_I know it is selfish of me to send you back a time you are unfamiliar with, but I need you to say goodbye to everyone for me. But first, please get to know them, you may like the 1900's better than 2010. If you don't, use the same method to get home that brought you here – put on the locket and get back onto the ferry. I wish you the best of luck, your grandfather and I love you so very much….I hope you will forgive me one day, Emily._

_Love you forever,_

_Grandma Emily and Grandpa "Dusty" _

Emily swallowed, that was it? Her grandmother had sent her back in time to say goodbye? She inhaled a deep and shaky breath and couldn't stop herself from crying. Her grandmother had never been able to return to 1897, so what hope did she have of returning to 2010? _Damned right you're selfish, Grandmom! _Shoulders shaking with silent sobs, she scrunched the note into a ball and threw it to the corner of the room. She was angry and scared. She didn't want to be in this time, away from her family and brother. She wanted to be home, safe, in her own time!

_**

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"I don't know Spot, dey just weren't there!" Mush shrugged, he and other newsies from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Midtown were just as baffled that the Harlem newsies hadn't arrived.

"Damn, dere's only one reason why dey wouldn't be here, Jack." Spot scowled as he paced around the dock outside, "Vampire found out about our plan. Someone's spyin' on us."

Jack paused and glanced to the other leaders. "Well, we'll just have ta find whoever it is, now won't we?"

"Don't move!"

The leaders and the newsies jumped and watched as Bandit walked forward with one of Gunslinger's newsies trapped in a headlock.

"River! Let her go!" Gunslinger growled, "Put her down, Bandit."

"I don't think so. If yer all good, she'll be back to you in one piece…" he smirked and tightened his arm around the struggling blonde newsgirl.

"What do ya want, Bandit?" Sport sneered as he stepped in front of Spot.

"Outta me way, Sport," Spot muttered and took a step forward. Bandit tightened his grip on River's neck even more, almost cutting off her air supply. Spot stopped in mid-step and threw his hands into the air. "Just don't hurt her."

"Pathetic," Vampire chuckled as he walked out of the bar's shadow. "Me brother, the tough king of Brooklyn, puts his hands in the air and freezes at da sight of one little newsgirl about to get hurt. Ya know nothin' about real leadership or power, _Spot_." He spat on the ground in front of his brother and looked at the leaders and the few newsies surrounding them. "Ain't dis amusing? At one sign of danger you all crowd togedda like a herd of scared animals. But dat's all you all are, cowards."

"You gonna get to da point, or are you gonna keep monologuing?" Spot snarled and glanced towards Warrior; once again he seemed too calm. He just hoped the Queens leader was true to his calm before the storm fighting style, and he wasn't the spy.

"I monologue as much as you do, brudda." Vampire paced, "How's Floaty?"

Spot flinched, "Awake."

"Oh good," he smirked, "Dat means she'll see me killin' her!"

"You bas…."

Vampire glanced at Bandit who began to tighten his arm to the point River was gasping for air.

"Stop!"

"Den clean up da language, I demand respect, I don't wanna be talked too like a piece of trash," Vampire snarled and gestured to Bandit. The other Harlem newsie loosened his arm enough so River could breathe.

"What do you want?" Gunslinger growled, "So help me, Vampire, da moment he lets dat girl go I will kill ya!"

"You kill me? I don't think so," the Harlem leader laughed. "Ya see, if ya even try somethin' real bad will happen."

Spot stared at him.

"You should be more careful on who you leave your Queen with, Spot." Vampire's lips twitched as if he were attempting not to smile.

"Floats….." Spot paled, "What did ya do?"

"Let's just say Floaty, Wolf, and Hatter ain't alone in da lodgin' house." Vampire shrugged.

Spot inhaled and struggled to keep calm, "What is it ya want," he reached for his cane.

"Ah-ah, Spot," Vampire scolded. Spot put his hands to his sides and sneered. "You want to know what I want? Hmm…Well, for starters ya humiliated, maybe even dead. Dat would be a good start. I want Brooklyn. I want da crown. I'm da rightful King of New York…And soon, I'll be gettin' me Queen."

"Ya leave Floa…"

"Floaty?" Vampire scoffed, "She's your queen, I wouldn't want dat loud mouthed pest. Nah, I'm talkin' about da woman I love….Emily Delancey."

"Yeah, Vampire, yer a king alright….Da king of da rats!" Gunslinger scowled.

Spot watched as his brother turned to Gunslinger, fire in his eyes. He saw a distraction and leapt forward, he pushed Vampire away. At the same time, Warrior suddenly dodged forward and had somehow removed Bandit's arm from River's throat. The two struggled before Vampire gave an ear splitting whistle. Bandit turned and joined his leader, who was backing away from the other newsies.

"Here's yer warnin' Spot….I've been easy on you all….I haven't hurt many people _yet_….But dat's about to change real fast. And I won't stop until I'm da Newsie King!" Vampire shouted as he ran off with his second-in-command.

"Rivah, you ok?" Spot dodged over to the newsgirl. Her hand was over her throat and tears were falling down her cheeks. She gave a small nod.

"What are we gonna do, Spot?" Warrior placed his hands on his hips, his face bright red from anger.

"We can't just defend ourselves and let dat lunatic brother of yours run wild!" Gunslinger snarled as she knelt beside her newsgirl and friend.

"I agree wid da others, we gotta do somethin'," Mouse said as he dunked his bandana into the ocean water, rung it out a little, and wrapped it around River's neck to help soothe the pain Bandit inflicted.

Jack paused, "We gotta do somethin', and we gotta find out wat dat 'something' is and fast."

Spot paused, "I think I already know….We need ta get to Emily Delancey before me brudda does. First thing tomorrow we tell da Delanceys what's goin' on….I gotta talk to her. You all may not like dis….But we're gonna have to find a way to ally ourselves wid da Delanceys, all three of them."

"Why? What will dat do?" Gunslinger wrinkled her nose.

"Dat's insane! Da Delanceys hate us just as much as yer brudda does!" Mouse argued.

"Have ya lost yer mind?" Warrior asked.

"Shut up! No, I haven't! But somethin' ya all don't realize is this: In me brudda's mind, da only way for him to be da Newsie King is for me to be dead. He _will_ kill me if he's given da chance. Since he believes dat about bein' da king, he probably thinks da same thing about the queen…..And dat puts me entire family in danger…..Floats and I are da first 'king and queen' to have a princess."

The newsies paled.

"He wouldn't hurt Katrina?" Jack seemed stunned and disgusted.

"I don't know, Jacky-boy….I can't put anythin' past him at dis point….I just can't."

"I know a place we can take Katrina," Mush said softly. "I met dis girl, her mother runs an orphanage. Floaty and Katrina could stay dere safely until all dis is over."

Spot nodded, "Can ya talk to yer friend tomorrow Mush? I need her to take Floaty and me daughter into deys home as soon as possible. But, is it safe dere? Can me brother get to dem?"

"Considerin' dat girl's father is da chief of police…."

"Yer friend's wid Chief Monahan's daughter?" Warrior's eyes went wide.

Mush blushed, "Not really friends, just acquaintances. She likes to ask me questions about what it's like bein' a newsie."

"Alright…." Spot paused, "Harlem is off limits to everyone, ya understand dat? We can't just march in dere….Da only way to get me brother off da streets is to get him in jail….Dat's da only way dis is goin' to stop."

"But how?" Gunslinger asked in frustration, "He's careful to hide everything he does so he can't get in trouble."

"Yeah, he's smart, but he's gonna slip up. I know me brudda, Gunslinger. Da first step is taking what he wants da most: Emily Delancey. Wid da Delanceys on our side we'll have even more help since deys have friends who hate da Harlem newsies."

"Let's just hope they're actually willin' to talk to us, Spot." Mouse frowned, "What time should we meet at da distribution center?"

"You all won't be dere," Spot replied, "It's gonna be me, Wolf, Jacky-boy, Mush, and a few others. If everythin' goes well I'll send a few of me newsies to tell ya. Alright, let's get River home, I'm goin' back to me Lodging house, I need to check on Floats and Katrina."


	3. The Dream & Acquaintances

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. I own Emily Delancey and her grandmother.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone, thank you all so much for the great reviews and story and author adds! This chapter mainly focuses on Emily and her brothers. The next chapter will have more of the newsies in it, I promise. :-) Also, if you go to my profile page and look under the Fanfiction Trailers section, you'll find the link to "The King and I" fanfiction trailer.)  
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_Fear coiled tightly in Emily's stomach like a snake ready to bite, she was standing on the Brooklyn Bridge. Her heart pounded as she recalled her grandmother's story of how she fell over the bridge's railing. Taking a deep breath, she looked around for anyone who may help her…But the only person who could have helped her – her grandfather – had already disappeared. Taking a deep breath, Emily reached for the bridge's railing; she'd walk back to Manhattan, back to her grandmother's brothers. Suddenly, a warm hand landed on her shoulder; turning she prepared to scream….But the scream became trapped in her throat as relief flooded through her. The newsboy, Blink, stood behind her with a kind smile on his face._

_ "Need some help, miss?"_

_ Emily calmed and smiled, already she felt safe in his presence. There was something about him that made her feel everything was going to be alright. How could one feel that way for someone they didn't know? _

_ Then, as suddenly as Blink had appeared his disappeared. Suddenly Emily found herself balancing on the railing of the bridge, her arms wildly swinging as she attempted to keep her balance. Below her a World War II soldier shouted at her and tried to grab her hand, shouting something she couldn't understand. Still trying to keep from slipping, she glanced over her shoulder at the sea below. It was strangely glowing with different hues of greens, blues, purples, and pinks, and in the center of the colors was her grandmother's face._

_ "When you are ready, all you have to do is let go," her grandmother's voice echoed throughout the night. "The longer you stay, the more you will forget. Just say goodbye, and then you can home….All you have to do is let go…."_

_ What did she mean by let go? Suddenly, Emily found herself no longer struggling to keep from falling. A warm hand had circled around hers, she looked down at the soldier with the last name "Kloppman" on his uniform….Looking up from his name badge she recognized Kid Blink's face under the camouflage paint._

_ "Don't let go…." He said softly, "Stay here wid me…."_

Emily gasped awake, her head, back, and shoulders ached. Blinking, she looked around her grandmother's room….She was lying on the floor. She realized she had cried herself to sleep. Groaning, she pushed herself up onto her feet and winced as she stood, her muscles and bones ached. Wooden floors were very unforgiving. Glancing at the window, she saw the night sky was becoming a light shade of gray, _dawns on its way._ Giving a sigh, she sat down on her bed – the mattress was thin and without a box spring, it was just as hard as the wooden frame holding it.

"Hey Em, ya up?" Morris called through the closed door.

Emily winced, _Oh no….Not now! I just want another hour of sleep…..Or thirty minutes….Is that too much to ask?_ "Um….Yeah, I'm up…."

"Ya don't sound too sure," Oscar exclaimed, his voice receding with his footsteps.

"Uh…..You try sleepin' on a wooden floor and tell me how you like it," Emily grumbled. She reached for the wall where the light switch should be, and then as her fingers brushed the wall she remembered most buildings in 1899 didn't have electricity. That was only meant for the high middle class and rich. Using the grayish early morning light, Emily navigated her way towards her grandmother's dresser and found a packet of matches in a porcelain bowl. She flicked a match against the carton, but it refused to light, she tried again and still nothing. Giving a frustrated sigh she struck another one and to her surprise it lit. She lit her oil lantern and blew out the match; she was greeted by an eerie sight.

Her grandmother's dresser was the same dresser that now sat in her room in 2010. The top of the dresser was more like a make-do vanity. The porcelain bowl held two packages of matches and a pearl bracelet. Around the bowl were different shades of lipstick, eye shadow, blush, and face powder. _Huh, I never took my grandmother as the kind of girl to wear makeup._ But considering it had rarely been used, Emily figured her grandmother only put it on during special occasions or simply refused to wear it unless she had too.

Kneeling down on the floor, Emily dug through the drawers. She found two skirts, three blouses, and the rest were Oscar and Morris's hand-me-downs. She combined a pair of Oscar's old black pants with Morris's old white shirt, and Oscar's gray vest. Standing up she glanced at the wall and was surprised to find a bowler hat hanging from the peg. Then, she noticed something square poking out from under the hat. Taking the hat off the wall, she was greeted by a paper photo of her grandmother with Oscar and Morris standing to each side of her with smiles on their faces. The caption under the newspaper photo caught Emily's eye: _Emily Delancey rescues oddly dressed soldier from Brooklyn Harbor._

Eyebrows scrunching, Emily picked up the lamp and held it closer to the photo, keeping it at a safe distance where the paper couldn't catch fire. Shivers traveled up and down her spine; she looked just like her grandmother, the resemblance was so weird that it was borderline terrifying. _Grandmom wasn't kidding when she said I look just like her._ Her gaze traveled away from the photo and to the caption, she reached her finger beneath the paper to unfold it and quickly drew it away with a small hiss. Something had bit her. She watched as a small brown house spider crawled out from behind the photo and continued up to the ceiling; she'd see if Oscar or Morris could kill it later. She unfolded the article and was disappointed to find the ink had been smudged to the point the words were illegible. _Damn._

Maybe she could find a copy of the article in the Manhattan library? She'd ask Oscar and Morris where it was. She quickly dressed in her brother's clothing and pulled on her shoes. As she tied her shoe, she paused, calling Oscar and Morris her brothers seemed more natural now….As if it were right. Shaking her head she sighed. _I need to find the ferry schedule and go home. Grandmom said, all I have to do is let go. But what does she mean by that?_

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Oscar yawned as he flipped the omelet; he hoped Emily's memories would start returning to her soon. He missed her cooking….Hell, he just missed her. He was damned glad to have her home, but…somehow, she was different. _It's because of dat memory loss, dat's all. She remembered livin' in Manhattan, she remembered Morris and me, so she'll remembah everythin' else soon enough too._

"Ya thinkin' of Em?" Morris questioned as he chewed on a piece of bacon. Their uncle always went out for breakfast; he hated his nephew's cooking. Either the food was cooked to a burned crisp, or so undercooked that it was disgusting.

"Yeah, wonderin' when she's gettin' her memories back. Yesterday she hardly said three words ta me after she told what happened to her."

Morris paused, "In da papes it says doctors call memory loss 'Amnesia' and when da person has it deys lucky to recover any of deys memory."

"Well, if deys can figure out what to call memory loss, den why can't deys fix it?"

Morris shrugged. He too missed his sister; he missed the mock fights he had with her. She had been one hell of a fighter too. When the strike was still in its first few stages and Pulitzer's men were getting ready to soak the newsies, he and Oscar fought the hardest. They fought for their sister. It was because of the newsies she was gone…they had either driven her away or killed her to have their revenge. Then, near the final stages of the strike, he and Oscar finally had their chance to soak the Newsie King. _He was da reason Emily was on dat bridge, she thought we didn't know she was sweet on him. We were gonna let her see for herself why no Delancey likes a newsie._ Morris had almost killed Spot, he had been so close, then the girl Oscar had been pining over at the time – Floaty – had knocked him over the head with a piece of old driftwood someone had thrown into a dumpster. That was the day Oscar came to the realization Floaty was just another newsie.

Both brothers looked up at hearing the sounds of footsteps on the wooden floors. Oscar's heart jumped into his throat, _Emily looks like herself again!_ Her raven black hair hung down her back in a long braid, she wore her bowler cap farther back on her head to show off her bangs, and she wore a mix of both of her brothers' old clothing.

"Mornin' fellas, what stinks?"

Oscar and Morris glanced at one another, it was as if their wish had come true overnight – their sister was back!

"Oscah's been cookin' since ya were…missin'." Morris said and started to stand up. Emily took a whiff of the burnt breakfast and wrinkled her nose.

"Okay, Morris quit eatin', you're gonna have indigestion. Oscar," Emily smiled and pulled him into a hug, her eyes twinkling, "I think it's very sweet of ya do the cooking in my place…."

"Someone's gotta do it," he smirked and hugged his sister tightly to him, almost afraid to let go.

Emily pulled out of his embrace, "True, but now that I'm back….Let the pro handle this. Ok?"

Both brothers laughed and nodded. They watched as their sister made breakfast: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. She let her brothers have all the pancakes except for one. Morris took a bite of his scrambled eggs and shut his eyes, "Oh yeah, I'm in Heaven! Em is back and she's cookin'!"

"Hey, me cookin' wasn't dat bad!" Oscar snapped.

"Yer cookin' almost killed Uncle Weas!"

"Take dat back!"

"Nevah!"

Emily watched as Oscar and Morris forgot their morning meal and began punching and wrestling with one another. Then, the chairs skidded backwards and toppled over as the two brothers fell to the ground in a struggle. For a minute she wondered if she should intervene, but she had a feeling her grandmother would have let them keep fighting. _Boys will be boys._ She wiped her mouth on a napkin and began eating her eggs.

"Your breakfast is gettin' cold," she commented. Part of her was concerned by the fact she was suddenly so comfortable in her new environment. _I'm going to have to find my way back before I start thinking of Oscar and Morris as _my_ brothers._

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The morning began with helping Oscar, Morris, and other World employees grab papers off the presses, put them into bundles of fifty, and tie strings around them. The bundles were then loaded onto 7 carts, each going to a different distribution center in the city.

"We do dis every mornin', afternoon, and evenin'," Morris grunted as he placed eight bundles of papers onto a wagon bed. "Compared to us, da newsies got it easy."

Emily wondered if that was true or not; the newsies had carry these papers around all day and try to sell them before the afternoon and evening editions were ready. It was hard work, and since there were only two handcarts – both with broken wheels – it took longer than usual. Finally, at six o'clock, all the wagons were leaving. Oscar nudged Emily and motioned for her to follow him and Morris.

"Where are we going?"

"Da second part of our job, we gotta keep da newsies in line."

"I do that too?"

"In a way," Morris shrugged, "Ya gave the warnin's. If deys didn't listen – we soak 'um…or at least try to until Cowboy gets his nose outta joint and takes it upon himself to defend dem."

"You really don't like the newsies, do ya?"

"Like we said before," Oscar said, "No Delancey likes a newsie….And no newsie likes a Delancey. It's da natural balance of things."

Emily followed the two out of the gates and watched as they were closed by four strong men. She found herself talking more freely with Oscar and Morris, who asked many questions about the 'inventor' she had lived with for two years. She based her foster parent off her Uncle Jed, who seemed determined to be the next Willy Wonka. They had walked around two city blocks.

"Why we do walk around two blocks? Why not just wait for the newsies to show up?"

Morris snorted, "Cause of dis," he walked past her and peeked down behind a garbage can. He grabbed his brass knuckles out of his pocket and banged them against the side of the hollow tin can, "Get up! Ain't no time for sleepin' ya lazy newsie! It's time for sellin' streets, get up ya guttersnipe!"

Emily jumped as a scrawny boy bolted up and ran out from behind the garbage cans. It was so sad how children were out on the streets; even in her time there were homeless children – they were often called 'feral children' or 'street kids'. She followed her brothers back towards the distribution gates, and a nagging feeling kept bothering her. For some reason she didn't feel comfortable with calling Oscar and Morris her brothers. _They are my brothers; they told me all about my parents. Why should I not refer to them as my family?_ She stopped for a moment as a flash of her real father's face flashed in the back of her mind. _I'm starting to forget._ She glanced down at the locket and pulled the cover off, and there – just as her grandmother had said – was a small piece of round turquoise. _I have to get home….But….Do I want too? Yes! Of course I do!_

She watched as Oscar and Morris shoved one another, fighting over God knows what. But she liked the two, she liked joking around with them and feeling like one of the pack. It was a feeling she never had back at home. Her oldest sister, Lori, was a successful research psychologist; and her oldest brother, Matt, was on his way to becoming a doctor. Both her older siblings had no time for her or their youngest brother, Trace. Oscar and Morris had time for her, they talked to her, and they always made her feel welcome….They were more than brothers, they were friends….Which was something else Emily didn't have much of back at home. _Maybe Grandmom was right….But….I miss Trace. _She glanced up to see her 'brothers' waiting for her to catch up. _But do I really want to leave them?_ The playful mock-punches she received (and gave) to her brothers when she caught up answered her question, _No_.

The three Delanceys continued and twice her brothers stopped to wake up a newsgirl or boy sleeping in alleyways. Finally, they arrived back at the distribution center where the newsies, including one with a cane in his belt, were singing and dancing.

"Deys do dat every mornin'." Morris grumbled.

"Deys too chipper in da mornin'," Oscar exclaimed and placed his hands on his hips. Smirking, he pulled Emily between them. "We're gonna have a surprise for dem!" Emily walked between her brothers as they shoved their way through the human ocean of newsboys and girls. The newsies had obviously not appreciated the Delanceys interrupting their morning song.

"Somethin' smells rotten," exclaimed an Italian newsie as he waved his black cap in front of his nose. "Maybe da sewers backed up again last night."

"Nah, too rotten!" Laughed another newsboy.

"It must be….Da Delancey brothers!" Exclaimed a tall boy who was hunched over and leaning on a crutch.

"Woah!" A muscular one exclaimed, "Dat ain't all! Da rumor was true!"

"Emily Delancey," a few of the newsies muttered and stared as she walked with her brothers toward a boy dressed as a cowboy. "She's back," a few whispered as she past them, "Look at her, she's so pretty!" Whispered a short and pale blonde boy. The one who had been waving a cap in front of his face stared at her as if she would disappear at any moment. Then, Emily glanced over next to him and met the eyes of the newsie she had dreamt of the previous night….Blink.

He stared at her, holding her gaze for a long minute. Emily felt her stomach twist as she stared into his one blue eye. He was handsome and mysterious. _Could he really have been that soldier Grandmom saw? He looks so young….Though boys in both the World Wars could pass as 18 if they looked old enough_. Suddenly, Blink looked away and Emily did as well. Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were beet red. _What is it about him that makes me feel this way? I don't understand. I don't even know him._

"Well, it's nice to see ya reunited wid yer sister, Oscar." The Cowboy exclaimed. He turned and looked at Emily, "Nice ta see you again, Emily, even if ya are a Delancey."

Emily stared, blankly, "Do I know you?"

The cowboy glanced at Blink who muttered, "Told ya."

"Ya really don't remembah _me_?" The cowboy seemed to be insulted. "It's me, Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly, da leader of da Manhattan newsies….Da one who told ya you'd never be a newsie."

Emily shrugged, "No idea. Right now, I'm only remembering the _important_ people, like my brothers." _Why am I being so mean? I'm never like this._

Jack put his hand over his heart and stumbled back as if Emily had shot him. He smirked, "Welcome back, Emily Delancey. Glad to see yer still tough as bricks."

"Yeah, yeah," Emily grumbled. Then to her surprise, Jack continued.

"Listen, Oscah, Morris,…Emily, we can't be fightin' with ya. We're at war wid Harlem, and deys leader, Vampire, is after you, Em. Ya got dat? He wants _you_, and he's puttin' all our newsies in danger…."

Oscar suddenly pushed Emily over to Morris. "Listen here, Cowboy! Ya don't threaten me sister. We know what's goin' on wid ya newsies, we know that Vampire wants our sister, what else is new? We ain't helpin' ya."

"I'm just sayin', Oscar, we newsies….We…."

"Need yer help," the kid with the cane finished, looking angry with himself for admitting that.

"Well, Hell must of frozen ovah," Morris sneered, "Spot Conlon, da King of Brooklyn, needs our help. Forget it."

"Yer brudda almost killed Floaty!" Spot shouted and Emily watched as he threw a punch at her brother. She struggled to get past Morris, but he held her back. Oscar shoved Spot away, and the newsboy was restrained by his friends.

"I would have nevah killed her!" Oscar snarled, "At da time I was told ya had me sister's body!"

"What?" Spot shouted.

Morris sneered, "We were told ya killed her….We were even brought dis…" he reached into his pocket and took out the most beautiful ring Emily had ever seen. It was made of a thin band of gold with a small circle on the front; in the circle was a cameo of a cherub. "It was our mother's ring, how did ya get yer hands on it?"

"I've nevah seen dat thing before!" Spot shouted.

"If yer accusin' us of lying, Oscar, Morris…." Jack sneered, "Ya should well remembah dat we don't steal from sewer rats." With that, he pushed Oscar's hat off his head. Emily watched as Jack ran off, her brothers in pursuit. _Do men ever grow up?_

"How was yer first morning here?" Blink asked.

Emily blushed and looked over at him, "It was um…interesting. Oscar can't cook."

Blink burst out laughing, "So dat's why Weasel's always sick to his stomach! Ya know, ya don't gotta be so mean to Jack. I know ya two don't have a great history…." He winced, "Sorry, I keep forgettin' ya don't remember dat."

She shrugged, "It's fine. Why don't you tell me?"

Blink sighed, "Okay, I can until dose gates open, den I gotta get me papes. We're in middle of a newsie war, Emily. So it's not gonna be da usual 'fun and games' kinda attitude wid us." At seeing her confused expression he blushed. "Well, ya see, Jack and you…..You've never seen eye to eye. From what I've been told, from da moment ya two first met ya hated one another."

"That's it? I hate him for no apparent reason?"

"Dat's one version, but Mush's version is da one I believe. When you all first met Jack nine years ago, he drove yer brothers crazy – just like he does now. He knew who ya all were, hired muscle, and you all knew who he was, a newsboy leadah. Den, one mornin' you tried to talk to a few newsies, but he wouldn't let ya. It was den and there he created da rule 'No newsie likes a Delancey' and to dis day…."

"It's been true, until now." Emily smiled.

"What do ya mean?"

"I like ya."

Blink fell silent, "Yeah, looks like we both broke dat rule….Cause I like ya too. But it wouldn't work, as friends….Or anythin' else. Yer a Delancey, I'm a newsie….And right now ain't da time for relationships anyway….Not with Harlem…."

"Yeah," Emily replied, "But no harm in bein' acquaintances."

"Huh?"

"People who know one another, talk, sometimes do things together but aren't really friends."

"Den, here's to bein' acquaintances." Blink smiled and spit into his hand; Emily followed his lead and did the same, then both shook hands.

"Blink, yer gonna be in trouble when Jack and Spot find out about dat!" Warned the kid on the crutch.

"Maybe, but it's worth it, Crutchy." Blink smiled to Emily, she blushed and found herself wishing that they could be more than acquaintances.

When her brothers returned and her attention was focused away from him, Blink turned to Crutchy and whispered, "How'd I do wid the ice breaker?"

"Great," Crutchy smiled, "Keep it up and ya two will be friends fast...If ya can get her to be friends with ya, den maybe da Deanceys will help us like Spot and Jack want."

Blink nodded, only he, Crutchy, Mush, and a few other newsies knew about the plan to befriend Emily Delancey. But Blink was the only one who knew that he wanted to be actual friends with her, and maybe one day, something more. He really liked her, she wasn't like her brothers; though she was quickly returning to the Emily he and all the other newsies remembered. _Let's just hope she won't be just like her brothers..._


	4. Kidnapped! & Delanceys join the Newsies?

_**Disclaimer: I do not own newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. Floaty belongs to DT. I own Emily Delancey, Chancy/Vixen, Bandit, Bridges, Red, Badger, and River.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the reviews and story adds! This chapter is dedicated to Leah, Firefly Conlon, and RoyalShadow1.)**_

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_** Newsie Slang used in this chapter:**_

_**Guttersnipe - Homeless child**_

_**Fallen off their trolley/Off his or her trolley - crazy**_

_**Street rat - Police word for homeless child**_

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__  
_** Courage see me through**_  
_** Heart I'm trusting you**_  
_** On this journey...to the past...**_

_**-Journey to the Past, from "Anastasia"-  
**_

Vampire Conlon leaned back against his 'throne', a pile of crates and barrels stacked on the loading docks. Unlike his brother, he didn't have a fisherman's rest as a throne; it irked him that he, the smarter and better looking brother, had to sit on a pile of crates. He tapped his fingers against one of the crates and glanced down at his newsies; some were sitting on the docks, others were playing games, while others were swimming. _Bandit, Bridges, and Vixen should be back soon._ He shifted, hoping they had been successful in the mission he had sent them out on: To start 'collecting' his rivals' newsies. Only minutes later he heard the shouting and cursing, looking up he was both pleased and amused to see his newsies had captured Racetrack Higgins, Cowboy Jack's third in command.

"Well, well, if it ain't da newsie wid the gamblin' problem." He stood from the crates and climbed down them. He cringed when a few dock workers – who had been trying to shoo him off all morning – began taking the crates away. He gritted his teeth, he'd find a new 'throne,' as the future King of New York he'd need a good and proper one. No, not one, but two. Emily would need one as well.

"Let go a'me ya bums!" Race shouted as he struggled to escape Bandit and Bridges' grasp. Each newsboy held the Italian boy's arm in a viselike grip that would probably leave bruises.

"As promised," Vixen purred, "One of da most trusted Manhattan Newsies, Racetrack Higgins and all o' his loud mouthed glory."

Vampire smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, for now Vixen believed she was his one and only, and he would use that in any way he could. He give her a quick kiss and kept his arm tightly around her. "Welcome ta Harlem, Higgins." He greeted with a smirk.

"Ya ain't gonna get away with this!" Racetrack shouted, "Ya can't go around kidnappin' people! Incase ya haven't heard, it's against da law!"

Vampire smirked, "What's da law done for us newsies, Racetrack? It locked us up in da slammer durin' da rally. Da bulls don't give a damn if another street rat just happens to vanish."

Race tensed, "Ya weren't in jail wid da rest of us!" He continued his struggle.

"You probably want ta know what I want wid ya."

"Never crossed me mind," the Manhattan newsboy snarled.

"Mmm-hmm, well for me amusement, I'll tell ya. I'm givin' me brother an incentive: Give up or never see his friends again."

"What are ya gonna do wid us? Put us in da refuge?"

"Good idea, but no. Cowboy knows how to break ya all out." Slamming his cane on the boards of the dock he turned, a glint in his eye. "I'm gonna do far worse. Da local steel mill needs some new employees, and deys will pay anyone for a few street rats."

Race visibly tensed. Everyone knew the danger of working in any factory, especially a steel mill. Vampire had no doubt the Manhattan newsie was thinking of Floaty's father, who had been mortally wounded and later died from an accident inside the steel factory where he worked. _Give dem somethin' to think about until I get me brudda here._

"Ya can't do dat." Race exclaimed, his voice hoarse.

"Oh yeah, I can. Let's just hope me brother comes to his senses."

"Brudda?"

Vampire paused, "I see, you all don't know, do ya?" He leaned forward and said in a soft growl, "Me name is Vampire _Conlon_, I'm Spot's little brudda." He looked at Bridges and Bandit, "Put him in da basement. Den I got a special job for ya…."

"What job is dat?" Bridges grunted as he tightened his grip around Racetrack's wrist and forearm.

Vampire turned to Vixen, "Go get da basement ready for our…'guest'."

"But…."

"Now," Vampire snapped to her. Vixen tensed, she glanced from Vampire to Bandit and Bridges. Sneering, she walked off towards the lodging house. Vampire's gaze fell onto Racetrack, he slowly walked behind the newsboy, "Don't move," he whispered to Bandit and Bridges.

"What da hell are you…." Race's voice was abruptly silenced when Vampire hit him over the head with the cane. He hadn't hit the newsboy hard enough to kill him or cause any permanent damage, but enough to knock him out. The two newsies let Racetrack fall to the ground.

"As I was sayin'," Vampire smirked as Bandit grabbed Race under his shoulders, and Bridges grabbed the boy's legs, together they picked him up. "I want ya to go to Manhattan and get me Emily Delancey."

"Dere's no way," Bandit grunted.

"Dere is a way. Vixen will change clothin' before you all go. Make da change when da Delanceys are chasin' stray children off da streets tonight. It'll be dark, one of ya will distract da Delanceys, while the other one grabs Emily and puts Vixen in her place."

After a minute the two newsies nodded, they knew better than to argue. Their leader was crazy. Usually that would be enough for the newsies to force him out of the lodging house; but they too were sick of being thought of like yesterday's garbage. Every other newsie in New York spat out the word 'Harlem' as if it gave their mouths a bad taste. It was time for things to change.

_**

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"Damn it, Spot! Deys have Racetrack!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs. Snipeshooter had arrived moments ago with the news of Race's kidnapping.

"Calm down, Jack. What happened?" Spot sat down on the fishermen's rest. Beside him, against his better judgment, sat Floaty; she was tired of being cooped up in the lodging house and Spot worried she would lose her balance and fall into the ocean.

"Racetrack offered to sell papes wid Snipes today after Boots got sick. Snipes was almost done sellin' his papes when he heard yellin' and shoutin'. He turned around and two Harlem newsies were soakin' Race. He tried ta fight dem off, but Race yelled at him to get back to da lodgin' house to get help. By da time we got there...Race was gone."

"We gotta get him back," David exclaimed. "Who knows what dey'll do to him!"

"Calm down," Floaty suddenly exclaimed. "Vampire can't afford to lose anything or anyone right now. Right?" She looked at Spot, who nodded in agreement. She looked back at Jack, "We have some time to get to the lodging house…."

"No," Spot exclaimed, "Dat's what he wants, for more newsies ta go into Harlem so he can grab dem too."

"Den what do ya suggest, Spot? We just sit around and wait ta find Race's body or hope Vampire gets tired? We gotta do somethin'!"

Spot hopped down from his 'throne' and stepped close to Jack, "Ya think I don't know dat, Jacky-boy? I'm just as worried as you are. I want him back, but we can't go in dere wid blinders on. We gotta have a plan, and a back-up plan."

"What if the Harlem newsies through their lodging house was on fire?" Floaty suggested.

"What do ya mean?" Jack looked up at her. In the months that she had been 'the Newsie Queen' she had come to earn even more of his respect. He had always known how tough she was, but she had proved how strong and brave she was during the strike time and time again.

"If we set fire to deys lodgin' house dey'll do da same to ours." Spot leaned back against a piling and crossed his arms. Every newsie watching and listening knew he was skeptical of his girlfriend's plan.

"No, they won't….Not if it's not actually on fire," Floaty smiled. "When my father and I lived in a small apartment building in Queens, the Land Lord would smoke tenants out who didn't pay their rent in time. He'd get a few metal buckets with wood and newspaper inside and set it on fire. He'd place one in front of the door and another in front of the window. Then, he'd go through shouting, 'Fire! Fire!' And anyone who didn't join him and run out of the building in terror were evicted. We could use dat same trick."

"It's risky," David frowned, "But if we're quick and careful it may just work. Dat's if we don't get caught."

"What about having other newsies as look outs?"

"Dere's too many windows," Spot shook his head. "Da Harlem lodging house has four stories, includin' a basement. Dere ain't no way we could go up da fire escape without bein' heard."

Jack paused, "I say we just go in and get him!"

"Why so we can get caught? Think straight, Jack! This isn't Pulitzer; we won't wind up in jail. Spot said Vampire is nuts. Who knows what he'll do!" David raised his arms in exasperation and let them fall to his sides.

Floaty swallowed, "Well, there are two possible ways….The first; we can try to get the Delanceys to work with us…"

"Been dere, tried dat," Jack sneered, "Deys want no part of it." He looked towards the Brooklyn Bridge, the sun was beginning to set and cast a beautiful and glassy reflection along the ocean. He tried not to think of what sunsets symbolized – the ending of a story, legend, or myth….the end of a life. His stomach twisted. "What else, Floats?"

"I either go to Pulitzer or my uncle for help."

"No!" Spot shouted.

"Spot, it's one or the other. I can pretty much guarantee Pulitzer will do nothin', but my Uncle….."

"Yeah, Floats, he will but in return he'll want ya back," Jack growled. "We'd just be rescuin' one newsie and loosin' another."

_**

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Vixen hated the clothing Vampire had thrown at her; black trousers, an old gray shirt, black vest and shoes, and a bowler hat with a small green feather tucked into the brim. Her hair was tucked in under the cap; she swallowed, already knowing what was happening. She was being replaced. Vampire was replacing her with that bimbo, Emily Delancey. She balled her hands into fists, she would love to free Racetrack that very moment just to get even with him. But the Italian newsie was guarded, and Vampire had expected she may try something like that. He knew her nature: Greedy, angry, and always looking for revenge. _Maybe Floaty was right when she said I need to change who I am._

She followed Bandit and Bridges across the Brooklyn Bridge. Her stomach twisted and her heart pounded. After what happened during the strike, she was terrified of the Delancey brothers, especially Morris. He had almost killed her! And Vampire was just sending her back to them. _He might as well be signin' me death certificate._ The moment those two buffoons noticed she wasn't Emily; they were going to fall off their trolleys. Hopefully she could escape before they realized their sister was gone. She glanced up at the sky, it was almost ten o'clock at night and the whistling of the sea breeze sent shivers up and down her spine. Suddenly, she felt so lonely and isolated; she was being abandoned and replaced, and no one cared.

"Vixen, speed it up a little, would ya?" Bridges snapped. He was slightly taller than Bandit; his eyes appeared to be sunken into his face oval shaped face; his nose appeared to be constantly scrunched; and his thin lips almost always sported a sneer. Although he shaved, one would never know it. His chin, cheeks, and upper lip were always covered in dark whiskers. It was no wonder the younger newsies in Manhattan had nicknamed him 'The Boogey Man'.

"Oh yeah, Bridges, I'm gonna race to what could be me own death."

"It ain't gonna be yer death. Stop bein' a drama queen."

"Morris almost killed me!"

"No," Bridges snapped, "Morris almost killed _Chancy_. You ain't Chancy no more, if da Delanceys find out about Emily before ya can escape, then use dem charms yer always usin' on Vampire and da rest of us!"

She snorted, "I highly doubt 'my charms' will work on two angry Delanceys."

"Enough ya two," Bandit snapped as they walked off the bridge and into Manhattan. He held up his hand and listened.

Vixen crossed her arms and masked her fear with impatience; she set her jaw into a scowl and hoped it would be enough to convince the other two she wasn't afraid. _Kinda lost that chance, girly. They know you're afraid….You know you're afraid._

"I hear dem," Bandit whispered, "So shut and listen."

For a long minute, Vixen heard nothing. Then, she heard Oscar's voice shouting a newsboy to either go buy the evening edition of the World, or get off the streets for the night. Morris's voice started to shout something but was soon drowned out by a barking dog. Usually the sounds of the evening didn't worry or scare her, but tonight was different. Tonight there was a chance something horrible could happen to her. She bit back a terrified gasp when a glass bottle rolled past her foot, out of a nearby alley way a cat hissed and darted through the shadows.

"What's da matter? Scared?" Bridges smirked, obviously enjoying her discomfort.

"No, I'm not."

Bandit looked back at her, "Ya know what to do, right?"

"Yeah," she muttered. "When Bridges gets Emily, I step over to where she was while ya distract her bruddas." She swallowed; wanting to say this was a horrible idea…She wanted to suggest that they leave Harlem. But she knew better, Bandit was Vampire's best friend and Bridges wasa stool pigeon. If she chickened out he would tell the Harlem Leader, who would never see Vixen in the same light again. _For a while I wanted Emily to have him, he's nuts…..But now I'm not so sure. For some weird reason, I still want him. Maybe I'm crazy too._

Bandit nodded, "Let's go."

They moved the through the night, following the voices of the Delancey brothers. Finally, three streets later, they found the two brothers shoving a group of kids out of an alley way between two apartment buildings. Emily wasn't pushing the children, but giving them directions to a local church and the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House. Vixen licked her lips and swallowed nervously, she had no idea that Emily was kind. _How can someone so….Innocent be a sister to the Delanceys? I don't understand._

Bandit suddenly raced in front of Morris and grabbed hold of his pocket watch chain. The older Delancey was furious, forgetting about the kids he raced after Bandit.

"Now!" Bridges hissed as he entered the shadows with Vixen, both made sure to stay away from the street lamps. Oscar was rocking back and forth on his heels, obviously unable to decide whether to assist his brother or stay with his sister. Bridges uttered a curse under his breath.

"If we hurry, we can do dis." Bridges hissed, "So when I say go, no dawdlin', ya understand?"

Vixen nodded, her mouth was dry and her voice seemed caught in her throat. She watched as Bandit ran halfway towards Oscar, then away, with Morris still chasing after him.

"Em…Stay here!" Oscar exclaimed, "Don't move, awright?"

"I'm not goin' anywhere, just…hurry back." Emily replied, she wrapped her arms around herself. Vixen recognized the look on her face, fear. She obviously didn't like the dark.

Bridges smirked, "T'ank you, Bandit." He whispered. "Go!" He whispered to Vixen. She darted out, staying at the edges of the shadows as Bridges scurried forward. Emily began to turn, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his hand over her mouth, then pulled her back into the shadows. Vixen quickly took her place and wrapped her arms around herself. She had no trouble acting afraid; she was terrified. She glanced back past the street lights and watched as Bridges continued hauling the struggling Delancey into the darkness. He reminded her of an octopus pulling its prey down into the murky and icy cold depths of the ocean.

Soon Bandit ran back towards her.

"Emily!" Morris shouted at her, obviously confusing her for their sister. _Let's hope they don't notice the difference for a while longer!_ Bandit tossed her Morris's watch.

"Don't screw up!" He muttered in her ear as he ran past her and into the shadows.

_I don't intend too!_ Vixen thought to herself as she pulled the brim of the bowler hat down farther. She hated the face its brim was folded upwards and offered little shadows to hide her face. That was the good thing about newsboy caps, their long brims casted shadows and helped to hide one's identity. Heart pounding she stood as still as a statue as Oscar and Morris ran up to her. Both were still peering into the shadows, trying to find the so-called thief.

"Damn! Da guttersnipe got away," Morris snarled.

"Dey…..Didn't get yer watch," Vixen coughed and handed the watch to him.

"Emmy, ya feelin' ok?" Morris asked, putting his hands gently on her shoulders. He and Oscar stood over her and looked so concerned. She swallowed, _please don't notice that I look and sound different, please!_

"Yeah….I think…."

"Wait a second," Oscar snarled and batted the hat off her head. She winced. "Chancy," he sneered, "What da hell? Where's Emily? EMILY!" The panicked look that crossed the Delanceys' face was something she'd never think she'd see. Vixen took a step backwards, slowly retreating towards the safety of the shadows.

"Emily!" Morris shouted, "Emily get out here!"

"Shut up will ya? Some a'us are tryin' to sleep, ya bums!" Someone in an upper level apartment shouted.

"You shaddap!" Oscar snapped back at him and turned, he grabbed hold of Vixen's arms. Morris turned and grabbed her collar and pulled her close to his face.

"Where is our sistah?"

Vixen swallowed, but remained silent. Her heart pounded and her body trembled; she was almost certain she was going to pass out. She gasped in a few panicked breaths and shook her head rapidly. Morris shook her.

"Where, Chancy? Is dis revenge for what I did to ya durin' da strike? Cause if it is…." He raised his fist.

"Me name ain't Chancy, it's Vixen!"

Oscar fell silent, "Vampire's girl?"

She shook her head, "Just Vampire's newsie, dat's it. He wants Emily….Emily's his girl."

"Da hell she is," Morris sneered. "We're goin' to Harlem…"

"I wouldn't! He's expecting you both, and dere's an army of newsies waiting to soak ya. And even if ya did show up, he wouldn't give her back to you. She's his now!"

Oscar snarled, "We'll see about _dat_." He kept hold of her arm and Morris grabbed her other arm.

"Where are you takin' me?" She cried out as they dragged her through the dark night.

"To someplace we'd nevah think we'd go…." Morris grumbled.

_**

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Jack had returned to Manhattan hours ago; he sat on the stairs and groaned. He glanced up at Spot. The Brooklyn leader was pacing back and forth. The leaders from Queens, the Bronx, and Midtown had arrived with a few of their newsies. They too, Jack and Spot soon learned, had newsies taken from them.

"He took me sister, River." Mouse exclaimed, his face was pale and he was shaking with rage. "If he hurts her…."

"He won't," Spot assured, "He's takin' da newsies who are closest to use cause he needs dem. He's tryin' to us dem to get us."

"Yeah, well, he's doin' a good job," Jack exclaimed.

"He took Sport," Spot suddenly exclaimed.

"What? How come ya didn't say dat before?"

"Cause I didn't know until one of me little birds told me," he held up a note.

"He's got me best friend, Badger." Gunslinger sneered, "I know what he's doin' Spot. He's waitin' until our newsies are busy sellin' papes, den he grabs dem before deys partner can do anythin' to help!"

"I know, I figured dat out too," Spot paused, "Da question is, why is he takin' one newsie from each borough only?"

Warrior paused, "He took Red. I think I know why he's taking only one." He stood in front of Spot, "He's testin' the waters….To see how far we'll go. I think he's mainly testin' you to see da next move ya make." Although calm, he was obviously angry.

"Me next move?" Spot growled, "Is to start takin' Harlem newsies."

The front doors of the lodging house opened and shut, Spot ignored it figuring it was more newsies returning from selling the evening edition of the World.

"Well, Conlon, we got yer first Harlem newsie right here." Oscar exclaimed and shoved Vixen into the ring of newsies.

"What da hell do you both think yer doin' here?" Jack snapped and stood up, ready for a fight.

"Drop da fists, Cowboy," Oscar snarled.

"Vampire took Emily." Morris stated, his eyebrows drawn down in anger. Yet something in his face let the leaders know the two brothers were serious.

"So yer here….to tell us dis? We warned ya, Oscar…Morris," Jack sneered.

"Yeah, Cowboy, ya did. But ya didn't warn us deys were gonna take her at night!" Oscar shouted.

"Hey!" Gunslinger pushed the younger Delancey away, "Jack warned ya, if you two numbskulls didn't listen, then dat's _your_ fault, not his!"

"Ya here cause ya want our help gettin' Emily back?" Spot crossed his arms and pinned the two Delanceys with an icy look. The brothers didn't seem impressed.

"Dat," Oscar growled, "And ta join yer side of dis newsie war. We want our sister back…..and _she_," he pointed to Vixen, "Is our key to getting her back."

"I am not…I told you both already! Vampiah don't want me back!"

"Small world," Spot sneered. "Back so soon, Vixen?"

Vixen looked up at him. Spot stopped in his tracks; no longer did he see the mouthy and annoying Harlem newsgirl. He saw a broken young woman who looked scared and alone. In all the time he had known her, this was the first time she ever looked helpless.

"We can't believe a word ya say."

"Deys have Racetrack and yer other friends tied up in da basement. Da door is guarded by four newsies." Vixen exclaimed, "I can tell ya how to get past dem…"

"We soak dem," Gunslinger sneered. "We're not as stupid as you think, Vixen." She knelt down, "Why did he take our friends?"

Vixen squared her jaw and sneered, "Well…You should be smart enough to figure dat one out." She gave a small cry as Morris grabbed the back of her shirt.

"Yer goin' to answer deys questions….Cause ya think what I did to ya as Chancy is bad? I let Chancy live!"

Vixen looked at the newsies, terrified.

"Don't look at us," Gunslinger sneered.

"You're da one who helped to start dis war when ya had Oscar almost kill Floaty," Jack crossed his arms.

Mouse looked ready to strangle her and Warrior was the only wall between him and Vixen's throat.

"You have nothin' but enemies here, Vixen." Spot said softly. "Ya ain't got friends….But if you help us, den we'll let ya go when all dis is over with. Now yer gonna answer Gunslinger's question: Why did Vampire take our friends?"

"Because….He's….He's preparing." She tried to wiggle out of Morris's grasp, but his grip on the back of her shirt never loosened.

"Preparin' for what?" Spot snapped.

Vixen looked up at him, "Preparin' for you to come to Harlem and give up, or he's gonna send yer friends to da steel mill. Deys lookin' for workers." She paused, "He's goin' after Floaty next."

"Well, dat's gonna be pretty hard for him," Spot sneered and pointed upwards. Vixen looked up; peering down at her from the second story landing was the Newsie Queen herself. "I got smart."

"Yeah, well, not smart enough to keep yer second-in-command safe." Vixen replied.

Morris turned Vixen around, "Ya said he wanted Emily as his girl."

"More than his girl," Vixen exclaimed, her shoulder slumped. She had finally given up. "She's going to be his Newsie Queen. He's goin' to keep kidnappin' newsies, and eventually Floaty too. Once he gets da ones he wants, he's gonna try to get da leaders….He really only wants Spot." She glanced over her shoulder at the Brooklyn leader, "He hates you, Spot. He wants you to make him da King of New York, he wants to humiliate ya in front of everyone….He may even kill ya, he…he hasn't decided yet. But before I left I heard him say you'd make a good servant."

Spot sneered, "We're gettin' our newsies back." He turned towards the Manhattan newsies, who lined the staircase. "Mush, Pie Eater, Jake, take Vixen here into our basement. We're gonna take some Harlem newsies of our own…."

Vixen paled, "Why? Gonna give us to a factory?"

"No," Spot sneered. "Nevah. I'm gonna give dem a choice…Join our newsies," he gestured to himself, Jack, Warrior, Gunslinger, and Mouse, "Or, when dis newsie war ends, deys go straight to da refuge."

"Ya better hope Racetrack and Emily are alright," Blink growled at Vixen as the three Manhattan newsies dragged her towards the basement.

"I know he won't hurt Emily….I don't know if he'd actually give yer newsies ta a steel mill or not…..He's insane."

"Yer just now realizing dat?" Gunslinger grumbled in disgust.

"Love really is blind," Warrior sneered.

"For yer sake," Oscar growled at Vixen, "Emily better be awright."

"And me sister better not have a scratch on her." Mouse balled his fists and glared at Vixen.

"Red better be alright."

"Sport had better be too," Spot sneered. "Cause Vixen, I know Vampire well enough to know he ain't throwin' ya away. He's always gonna want ya, even when ya don't want him. He may not love ya, but ya feed his ego. He'll need dat ego-boost back….So sooner or later….Dere's gonna be people lookin' for ya….And you'll have company down dere."

"Go to Hell, Spot Conlon!"

"I'll take ya wid me!" He snapped, lunging forward. Jack and Gunslinger held him back.

"Don't sink down to her level, Spot." Floaty weaved through the sea of newsies on her way down the stairs. "Is every newsie in New York here?"

"Almost," Warrior replied. "How's your head?"

"Much better…It's our newsies and Emily I'm concerned about."

"You've nevah met our sister," Morris sneered, "Why would ya care?"

"She's a human being too, isn't she? And from what I hear, she's kind."

"Yeah, well, yer said to be kind and look what ya did to us durin' da strike," Oscar grumbled.

"Gee, Oscar, let's not forget the fact you almost killed me." She walked past him and hugged Spot. Turning, she looked at Gunslinger, Warrior, Jack, and Mouse. "We're going to get our newsies back," she looked at the Delanceys, "But to get them back we're going to have to work together and be able to trust one another whether we want too or not. We _have_ too. And Spot….I know you don't want to go into Harlem, but we have to find a way."

All the leaders nodded; Spot sighed and finally nodded, "Awright," he exclaimed. For the longest time he had been wanting to avoid Harlem, to avoid his brother - a part of his past he didn't want to remember - but it was time to stand up to Vampire. Time to stop fearing the past. His eyes lit up with a new found courage and he got an idea, "I have an idea. Floats, remember dat idea of yours about da smoke? We're gonna use dat for the first floor. But, we're gonna open da doors and windows and let da smoke _in_ and let it travel through da lodgin' house…."

"To create a screen where we can go in and get what we need in a hurry!" Floaty beamed.

"Yeah, only we're gonna have to be quick and find out where everything is first so we know where we're goin'." Spot paused, "We need a few newsies to go into Harlem and learn deys way around da lodgin' house. Den, we can get our friends back."

"Spot! We know who Harlem's spy is!" Mush rushed in and skidded to a halt.

"Who?" Spot looked around as Mush stepped forward and whispered, 'Warrior.' Spot stared at him, "Ya sure?"

"Oh yeah," Mush nodded.

Spot turned and stepped towards the Queens Leader. His calm stature instantly vanished, he tensed and darted across the room, but was soon stopped when Morris's fist collided with the front of his face.

"Dat's for our sister!" Morris sneered as Warrior collapsed to the ground holding his bleeding nose.


	5. Harlem's Queen? & The Bet

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. DT owns Floaty. I own Emily, Bandit, Torch, Gunslinger, Mouse, Warrior, River, Red, Badger, Lori, Matt and Bridges.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! The trailer for "Harlem To Delancey" is now up on youtube. You can find the link on my profile page under the Fanfiction Trailers section. Special thanks to Leah61909 who helped me with this chapter. Thanks Leah, this chapter is dedicated to you! :-))**_

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Vixen sighed when the footsteps, voices, and all noise from the lodging house above her ceased. She was angry, hurt, and afraid. _Vampire threw me away like yesterday's garbage, all for some girl who barely noticed him._ She sniffled and wiped her nose on the shoulder of her shirt; her wrists and ankles were both bound to keep her from escaping. She shut her eyes and leaned against the pillow Mush had brought in her for a few hours earlier. She swallowed and thought about the night's events that changed her life forever.

_**4 Hours Earlier….**_

"I don't know why ya like Vampire, all he does is use ya and hurt ya," Mush said as he led Vixen down the basement stairs. He held her wrists in one hand, a coil of rope hung around his shoulder, and although he acted calm Vixen knew he was angry. Angry with her and Vampire for starting this newsie war, hurting newsies in all boroughs allied with Brooklyn, and kidnapping Racetrack. It was a messy situation, and Vixen was quickly wishing she could turn back time and leave Harlem before all other boroughs – even the ones allied with Vampire – turned their backs to her.

"Vampiah loves me," she snarled. "He'll see dat when he realizes da Delancey's sister is a bimbo!" _I wish I could believe me own words…But I have ta….Vampire….He wouldn't just leave me here. Would he?_

"She ain't a bimbo," Mush exclaimed.

"You standin' up for a Delancey? Ain't dat against some kind of Newsie-Delancey code?"

Mush tensed, "Dere ain't a code….And she ain't like them." He stopped in the corner of the basement and released her wrists. "Don't do anythin' stupid."

"Or what? You'll hit me?"

Mush's shoulders tensed, "I won't hit ya, but I will knock ya down." He uncoiled the rope and swallowed. He was obviously uncomfortable with tying a person up. But after a moment's pause he took a small pocket knife out of his trouser's pocket.

"I didn't know ya carry a knife," Vixen raised an eyebrow in surprise. If any Manhattan newsie carried a blade, she expected it to be Skittery. He was pessimistic and expected trouble around every corner. _I'm surprised dey didn't name him 'Paranoid'._

"Yeah, but I only use it for cuttin' rope, bandages, and some other things….I'd never harm people wid it," he looked up at her. Vixen swallowed, she understood what he was saying all too well. When she had helped Bridges and Bandit kidnap Racetrack, she swung a pocket knife in front of the Manhattan newsie's face. A pang of guilt seemed to stab her in the heart; the poor kid had been terrified, but none the less he fought and struggled. _He coulda had a chance if I….No! I'm a Harlem newsie! I support Vampire; dat means I don't have time to feel guilty for spineless cowards._

Mush paused, "Where's yer knife?"

"I don't got it on me."

"I don't believe ya, either ya give it to me or I ask one of da newsgirls to come down and get it. Da last person ya want down here is Floaty."

Vixen rolled her eyes, "Dat little pest? She won't do nothin' to me other dan spurt some fancy-spancy grammar and try to scare me."

Mush suddenly smirked, "Obviously ya haven't seen her much since da strike."

"Why would I want to visit a person I hate?" When he reached her arm, she pulled away from his grasp and edged towards the wall. "Mush, listen to me….Why don't ya and I….Get to know one another? Face it, I need a friend and ya look…starved for some female companionship….I can give dat to you if ya turn your back afterwards." She stepped closer to him and slowly raised her lips to his. Vixen was almost kissing the muscular newsboy when his hand clamped around her wrist and he spun her around so she faced the wall.

"I don't like it when women sell deys bodies, Vixen. It ain't right," Mush said with disgust in his voice. "And I don't like bein' treated like some mindless thing. Now where is da knife?"

"I'll scream, I'll tell them that you hurt me!" She drew in a breath to scream and paused when she Mush didn't budge or say a word. She gave a small smile, _Maybe he's thinkin' of what I'm saying, bein' smart for once. If he hurts me, he'll regret it._ Then, she heard footsteps descending the basement stairs. She craned her neck to the side, but all she could see was the wall and the dim light from the oil lantern hanging on the wall.

"Everythin' alright down here?" Floaty questioned from halfway down the staircase.

"I'm tryin' to find Vixen's knife," Mush replied, "I don't…."

"When she posed as Chancy, she always disguised it as a hair barrette."

Vixen drew in a breath. Floaty had known that? _How?_ Her confidence flew away like a leaf floating from a tree on a breezy fall day. Mush took off her cap and began searching her hair, until he found her knife.

"Ya just can't help yerself, can you, Floaty? Ya have to come to a coward's rescue!"

"Don't talk ta her like dat! In case ya haven't noticed, she an' Spot are da closest thing to royalty we newsies have!" Mush's whisper was laced with anger. Vixen shrugged and Mush turned her around and grabbed her wrists.

"Let me help ya," Floaty offered.

Vixen watched as Mush looked over his shoulder at Floaty, "Nah, Floats, its fine. Ya should go back upstairs now."

"Oh yes, do run back upstairs!" Vixen chuckled, "Maybe you'll fall in finish da job Oscar started!" The cold look on the so-called newsie queen's face made Vixen chuckle even more. Why Conlon had chosen a weak thing like that to be his queen, she'd never know. _He coulda done much better wid Chancy….if she were real._

"I feel so sorry for ya, Vixen." Floaty said softly as Mush shoved the Harlem newsie into the wall so there was no escape.

"Oh? Why is dat?" Vixen snorted, "If anythin' I should feel sorry for ya. What Vampire has in store for _you_…." She winced when Mush began winding and tying the rope around her wrists. "Hey! Ow!"

"Yeah, well, ya deserve it," he whispered.

"I feel sorry for ya, Vixen, because what goes around comes around….I just hope whatever happens to ya ain't too bad."

Vixen was shocked into silence, she had forgotten the old rule her mother had taught her so many years ago: The deeds you do will always come back to you. Determined to keep 'the newsie queen' in her place, Vixen raised her head. "So where'd ya get the phony accent?"

Mush paused from finishing knotting the rope, he glared at her.

"It's fine, Mush," Floaty said softly and put a hand onto his shoulder. "Let me help ya."

"Nah, it's fine. Ya go back upstairs, if Spot don't see ya up dere soon, he's gonna be worried sick."

"You both are bein' so sweet! Keep dis up and my teeth will rot!" Vixen snickered when Mush glared at her yet again, and Floaty rolled her eyes. She watched the other girl climb up the stairs and for a fraction of a second she thought about saying 'I'm sorry.' Now was no time to be making enemies, not if she wanted to escape. _I'd rather rot away in some sewer drain than apologize to _her! When the door shut, Mush knelt down and began to tie her ankles. She noticed he was wary; his gaze darted from her feet back to her bound wrists. Obviously he expected her to attack him. For a long moment, she thought about it but missed her chance when he finished tying the knot.

The basement became silent enough that Vixen was able to hear a few newsies conversations. It was one conversation that caught her attention; she recognized the voices as Warrior and Gunslinger.

"I just don't understand why she stays wid that bum," Gunslinger said. "It's obvious he was usin' her da entire time. He never loved her. Durin' newsie meetin's, especially the rally, all he ever did was make fun of her. 'She things she tough, but she's nothin' more than a pretty face and nice body,' he treated her….Like an object."

"Well, dat's Vampire for ya. He uses girls and den leaves him. Da only girl who ever caught his fancy, and his heart, from what I hear was da Delancey's little sister," Warrior replied.

"Shhh!" Gunslinger hissed, "Deys heading over dis way."

Vixen felt as if her heart would split into two. She swallowed and tried to blink back the tears that were blurring her vision. She sniffled; she had suspected that he had been using her….And in a way she didn't mind, as long as he always came back to her. But knowing that….That she was nothing more than his bed fellow….A dispensable bed fellow….She felt as if Vampire had just ripped her heart out.

"Hey, ya alright?" Mush turned her away, "Is dis a trick?"

Vixen ignored his question; she took a few deep breaths. She didn't want to cry in front of him or any other newsie. "I….I….Can tell you who the spy is."

That caught Mush's attention. His eyes brightened and he leaned forward slightly, as if to hear her better. Vixen glanced up at him, _Obviously da leaders told some of deys newsies about da spy._

"Warrior….Warrior is yer spy. He claims to be da new leader of Queens, he ain't. Red's da new leader of Queens….She got her nickname because she keeps the Queen of Hearts card tucked in da brim of her hat." Swallowing, Vixen continued. "Warrior's real name is Stretch, cause he's so tall."

"Ya sure about dis?" Mush paused, "Why are ya even tellin' me somethin' dat will harm Harlem? Unless yer trying to….."

"I ain't tryin' nothin'!" Vixen snapped. "I'm tellin' ya….Because…"

Mush glanced towards the door, "Because ya heard Gunslinger….And now ya know what Vampire truly thinks of ya."

Vixen nodded. Mush stayed with her for a long and silent moment. "Look," he finally exclaimed, "I'll be back wid a pillow for ya in a little while, and a blanket."

Vixen shrugged and turned away from Mush as he ran up the stairs. She hopped towards the corner of the basement, and with a small struggle she began sitting down and fell the rest of the way…..And she stayed in that same place for four hours. Crying, sniffling, and muttering threats of ripping Vampire's heart out through his bum. Finally, she pulled the blanket Mush had given her up to her chin and cuddled her head against the pillow. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for this newsie war to end.

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_"You know, Emily, you shouldn't take a year's break….You should go right into college." Her older sister, Lori, exclaimed from the driver's seat._

_ "Aw c'mon, sis! I don't want to talk about this again," Emily groaned. "I've been in school for as long as I can remember….I want a year to myself!"_

_ Lori shook her head, "I'm telling you, Em….That's a bad idea. If I hadn't enrolled in college before I graduated and started that summer semester…"_

_ "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know…." Emily groaned; she was so sick of hearing her sister's speeches. "You wouldn't have met your future husband, gotten your dream job, and wouldn't be about to have a child."_

_ "Exactly." Her sister nodded, "Please, Em, you need to think about this…."_

_ "I don't want too."_

_ "You have too. You're a smart young lady, and you're going to help this world. That's why Grandmom gave you her locket, remember? She told you, '_Remember who you are' _and to make something of yourself…."_

_ "Yeah, and then she said 'find my brothers'."_

_ "Well, you love history," Lori shrugged, "She figured if anyone could find them, it would be you. But I agree with Grandmom, Em, you need to remember who you are and never forget it."_

_ "How or why could I forget who I am?" She glanced at her older sister, surprised that she would mention that._

_ "I don't know….Forget it…" Lori eyed Emily's locket, "Just….Be careful when you wear that…."_

Emily's eyes flew open when something soft brushed her cheek. The dream ended so quickly and she wished it hadn't. She had been back in her own time with her sister….And the memories she had been losing returned to her. As she blinked to clear her vision, she realized her grandmother's locket had conveying her grandmother's memories to her, which had almost cancelled out her own. _Thank you, Lori!_

"Hey dere…" A tall boy with a raspy voice greeted.

Horror caused her to freeze as she recalled what happened. She had been with Oscar and Morris when someone grabbed Morris's watch….Then, when Oscar left someone came up from behind and grabbed her. She had fought to the point her kidnapper hit her over the head and knocked her unconscious. Now, she was lying on a lumpy mattress, she tried to bat this boy's hand away from her but her but wrists were bound and tied to the headboard.

"Hey, hey, calm down," the boy said softly and stroked her bangs out of her eyes. "C'mon, Emily, don't ya recognize me?"

Emily glanced up at the boy. He looked a lot like Spot Conlon, only his hair was darker, there was a mustache forming on his upper lip, and there seemed to be an aura of hate around him. She cringed away when his hand reached for her, drawing it back, he frowned. _He looks familiar…._For a moment she focused on the memories the locket had given her, and the boy's face flashed in the back of her mind with the word 'Harlem'.

"I….I don't remember much of anyone, sorry," she tried to wiggle out of the ropes, but all she succeeded in doing was getting rope burn and making the boy cross his arms.

"So da rumor is true, yer back, but yer memories ain't." He looked annoyed, almost hurt. Then he smiled and looked as if he was trying to convince himself everything was fine. "Dat's okay, cause the longer you're wid me, the more ya will remember. Me name's Vampire Conlon, I'm Spot's little brudda. We met two and a half years ago, I fell in love with ya, and I think you loved me too. But before I got da chance to tell ya….You vanished. I know me brudda had something to do with dat…"

"It was an accident….I got scared by something and fell off da bridge."

"Dat's impossible, there's a railing….Wait did someone chase ya up dere?"

When she stared at him for a long moment, he drew his own conclusion. "Deys did, so they were tryin' take me girl….Well, dat doesn't surprise me. Newsies around here hate Harlem, for da reason dat I'm strong, stronger dan me brother 'The Newsie King'." He snorted, "I'm da King of the Newsies, not _him_. And yer me queen…."

"Could you please untie me?" Emily bit her lower lip and prayed this boy, Vampire, wouldn't (and hadn't) hurt her. She heard about stories in 2010 how women were abducted and….No….If he had done that to her, he'd want her dead; he wouldn't want her as 'his queen.'

"Sorry," Vampire gave a smirk and he looked anything but remorseful. "Bridges said ya fought him tooth and nail, in fact I think ya knocked one of his teeth out," he snickered and his face became serious. "Now, Emily, I don't want to have to hurt you. You will stay here wid me, understand? If at any time ya try to hit me, me newsies, or ya try to escape, I will do far worse den tie you to some uncomfortable bed." He stared at her until she nodded. He untied her wrists and helped her to sit up. "First things first, we need to get ya outta those clothes. Yer not goin' to be a Delancey much longer, so dere's no need for ya to dress like one." He glanced over his shoulder at the closed door, "Bandit! Bring da clothin'!"

Emily's heart pounded as Vampire stood. _He's insane! I'm trapped in 1900 with a crazy man!_ She glanced towards the window; no matter what happened, she would try to escape. But she would wait a few days and gain Vampire's confidence. When he was comfortable she wouldn't try to run and let his guard down, she'd escape. Emily's gaze darted to the door when a shorter boy with dark hair walked in; he glanced at her.

"Glad to see ya awake…Miss…." He dropped a bundle of clothing at the foot of the bed, along with a hairbrush, barrette, and pearl bracelet.

Emily carefully picked up the bracelet…._From everything I've read in history class, and from what I've seen, newsies don't have money for pearls._

"Ya like dat, Em? It was me mother's, I got it before me brudda could. It's yours now," he gently pulled it from her hand, unclasped it, and put it around her wrist. "It shows your me girl, da future Queen of New York, and me undyin' love for ya."

Emily swallowed, if she wasn't afraid before, she was terrified now. Taking a deep breath, she remembered what her older brother, Matt, had once told her. _If you ever find yourself around someone whose dangerous, play their game for as long as you can to survive….Then, when they're not looking, run like hell._ Giving a shaky smile, she took her brother's advice and played along, hoping it wouldn't get he killed in the end. "It's beautiful….So….So is the symbolism behind it….I….Love it."

Vampire stared at her for a long minute and Emily was terrified that he was catching on. _Oh God, he's going to kill me!_ Instead, he smiled and pulled her into a small hug.

"We'll take things slow," he whispered, "So ya can get back yer memories, but in a few days I fully expect to be kissin' ya again." Standing he walked towards the doorway with Bandit. He turned towards her, "Stay here and rest. Dere's a….Newsie right outside if ya need anythin', awright?"

She nodded, "Where are you goin'?"

Vampire smiled, "To make life better for us." When he shut the door and she heard his footsteps receding down the hallway, Emily darted off the bed and froze in front of the window; he had nailed it shut.

_I have no choice, I have to play along._ "Um…." She started, "Whoever is out there…"

"Da names Torch," a boy replied from the other side of the door. "Need somethin'?"

"Um….Just for you not to open the door for a little bit, I'm changin' my clothes."

"Don't worry, da door won't open unless ya need to use da bathroom."

_Gee, that's reassuring. Vampire trusts me so much, doesn't he? I'm nothing more than a prisoner. I'll find my way out. _Emily undressed and hid Oscar and Morris's old clothing under her mattress. She would have to find a better hiding place for it later. She quickly dressed into the white blouse, sandy brown trousers, pink suspenders, and a dark brown vest. She brushed her hair and used the barrette to pin her hair back into a ponytail. She glanced down at her grandmother's locket and opened it; the old photographs of Oscar and Morris caused tears to brim in her eyes. _Grandmom loved her brothers so much…..And so do I….And I don't think that's the work of the locket either. Maybe it's genetics, or maybe even magic._

She snapped the pendant shut when the door opened a crack, Torch glanced in at her. He appeared to be around Vampire's height, though it was hard to tell since he was sitting in a chair. His hair was dark brown and his eyes appeared to be silver. To her surprise, he looked a lot like Blink.

He suddenly smiled, to her surprise it was a kind and warm smile. "Me name's Torch, like I said." He whispered, "I work for Spot, I'm one of his spies, but ya can't tell no one. I'm Blink's older brudda. When da others are rescued, I'll make sure ya are too."

"The others?"

He gave a small nod, "Vampire kidnapped newsies from Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens, and Midtown. I'm surprised yer brudda's haven't broken into our lodgin' house yet." He glanced towards the hallway and shut the door. Emily's breath caught in her throat. _Please tell me you weren't caught!_

"Were ya talkin' to her?" Bandit questioned.

Emily leaned forward and heard Torch's response, "She was whinin' about bein' hungry."

"Yeah, well, she can wait for a little while. Vampire and a few others are gettin' da _Queen's_ room ready."

Torch snorted, "Floaty is no queen. Let me know when ya all have caught her, I wanna see da look on her face when she realizes she's gonna be Spot's undoin'."

Bandit laughed, "Will do."

Emily's heart plummeted into her stomach; she felt bad for this Floaty person. She wished she could warn Blink somehow. _Torch is his brother! But…He knows more than I know, and he must have some way to relay messages to the other newsies._ _I hope…._

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Racetrack Higgins had never been so uncomfortable in his life; even the jail cell the bulls had thrown him into during the strike had been more comfortable than this. His wrists and ankles were tied to a stake in the ground and Bandit had shoved a rag in his mouth to keep him silent. Except for a few shiners, and one or two scrapes, he was alright. Glancing around the room he recognized Mouse's sister, River; Red, a newsie from Queens; Badger, from the Bronx; and to his surprise, Spot's second in command, Sport. He winced at seeing his friend; his left eye was swollen shut, his arms were almost entirely black and blue, and his bottom lip was split.

"Damn, Sport, I'm sorry," Race frowned.

"Ain't yer fault, Race. You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, how bout da others?"

Sport winced and wiggled around the stake his ropes were tied around. Finally, he faced Racetrack, "Deys haven't woken up yet. I've been awake for a few hours."

Race nodded, "Just woke up meself." He glanced up at the ceiling and heard the Harlem newsies walking around, talking, and laughing.

"It's bad, Race, real bad. Deys goin' after Floaty next, and from what Bandit was sayin', deys already got da Delancey's sister."

"Deys got Emily?" Racetrack's eyes widened, "And deys alive to tell da tale?"

"So far."

"Damn," he whispered and glanced at the other newsies. "Dis goes against every unwritten rule in da newsies code."

"I know," Sport shrugged and winced, "But….Vampire is insane. He don't care what is against da rules or not."

"Spot took Floats – "

"Don't say where," Sport snapped, "Deys got a guard right outside, and if he heard dat, Vampire will be down here any second. Bridges, Grifter, and a few others turned da entire Brooklyn Lodgin' House upside down tryin' to find her, but couldn't."

"Good," Race replied. He hated being trapped here, being forced to fear for his and his friends' well being. If Vampire caught Floaty….Race didn't even want to think about it. Vampire hated Spot and hated anything and anyone who made Brooklyn happy. He had little doubt the Harlem leader would soak Floaty and maybe even kill her. _Let's just hope he doesn't kill us or give us to dat steel mill…._

"Wanna make a bet?" Race smirked, he needed to focus on something else.

"Ya want to make bets….At a time like dis?" Sport stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah," Race smirked, "Two bits says dey won't find Floaty."

Sport chuckled and smirked, "Awright, I got a counter bet."

"Oh?"

"Two bits says da newsies and Delanceys are workin' together to save us and deys sister."

"Dat….Wouldn't happen." Race snorted.

"C'mon, Race ole buddy, I thought ya were a gamblin' man!"

"Awright, fine. If da Delanceys are workin' with da others, I owe ya two bits. If Harlem doesn't find Floaty, ya owe met two bits." Race smirked.

"And if both things come true, we keep our money," Sport chuckled.


	6. A New Plan & Romeo and Juliet?

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. I own Emily, Mouse, Bandit, Vampire, Gunslinger, and Red.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone, here is the next chapter. :-) Sorry it took me so long to update, I was out of ideas and completely burned out on Newsies. Since the last chapter I have graduated with my Bachelor's Degree and I'm now in the Master's program. I'll keep updating the story as often as I can. Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added me to his/her favorite authors/stories list.)**_

* * *

_**"Hope is your survival.**_

_**A captive life I lead.**_

_**No matter where you go, I will find you.**_

_**If it takes a long, long time**_

_**No matter where you go, I will find you**_

_**If it takes a thousand years..."**_

_**-I Will Find You by Clannad-**_

"And I'se say we barge in dere and Morris and I get Emily back!" Oscar jabbed his finger into Spot Conlon's chest; his brown eyes burned with intensity. The only thing on the Delanceys' minds was rescuing their sister from the insane newsboy leader. It had been two days since Emily was kidnapped, yesterday the newsies had tried to come up with a plan but everyone found too many weaknesses (though they had found a spy). When Oscar and Morris had first heard of the Newsie War they thought it was amusing, let dem annoying newsies fight it out. When the war was over, there would be less newsies to contend with, and if the Delanceys were lucky, maybe Jacky boy would either move to another borough or decide it was time to move on to a new job. But no….These damn newsies had to drag their war into the Delanceys' lives and take their sister from them, again!

Spot slapped Oscar's finger away and growled in a low voice, "Don'cha evah do dat again. I'se didn't start dis war, Vampiah did. I got newsies in dere who are in just as much trouble as Emily! Probably in even _more_ danger since Vampiah sees dem as throw aways…as…erm…"

"Pawns," Floaty suggested from the corner of the room where she sat hugging Tumbler in one arm, and the other she held Katrina. This war was taking its toll on everyone, especially the youngest newsies who had a hard time understanding the newsboy war. If trading a toy could make this war go away, then by all means, Spot would trade everything, anything, to stop it. But not Brooklyn. Never Brooklyn. Vampire would rule over the New York newsies like the blood hungry creature he was named after.

"Yeah, pawns. Every newsie in dis room is just a pawn, but youse sister ain't." Spot crossed his arms and stared at both the Delanceys, "So if we'se gonna rescue yer sister and our newsies, den we gotta see eye to eye on dis. I ain't takin' a chance of losing newsies to rescue someone whose in da least amount of danger."

Morris balled his fists, "Den we'se will get heh ourselves."

"Don't be an idiot, Morris!" Skittery exclaimed from his seat on the staircase. "Da Harlem Newsboys will catch youse both too! What makes ya think ya can barge in dere widdout somethin' happenin'? Cause yer last name is Delancey? Yer sister's last name is Delancey and look what happened to her!"

"Damn it Spot, we've been dancin' around dis for days now," Gunslinger crossed her arms, "Da time for tiptoein' is done. Now it's time for plannin' and movin'."

Spot stared, "Dat's why Jacky boy and I were up all night plannin'." He paused and looked at each newsie, "What's said heah and now doesn't go out dis door. Understand?"

Each newsie nodded, the tension was so thick in the air that Spot was certain he could have cut a hole in it. Oscar and Morris glared at him, the only thing holding the two brothers back were Mush, Cactus, and Riley. Blink stood a few feet away from Floaty with Pie Eater; Spot knew Blink had feelings for the Delancey's sister, an issue he'd address with the newsboy later. Floaty looked at him with complete trust and faith in her eyes and he knew if Sport were in this room, he too would be looking the same way.

"We need at least 15 newsies to act as decoys, ya gotta distract da Harlem newsies by goin' inta Harlem," Spot held up his hands when the newsies began to argue and point out that no borough, especially Harlem, was safe to enter at the moment. "Quiet! I know walkin' in dere is like tellin' Oscar and Morris to soak ya!"

"Real nice comparison, Conlon!" Oscar snarled while he leaned against the wall, Morris stood beside him, slamming his fist into his other hand.

_Deys can save da bravado for Harlem,_ Spot thought to himself before he continued, "While da fifteen newsies distract Harlem we're gonna sneak into deys lodgin' house and try to free our newsies and capture Vampiah at da same time."

"Dat's your big secret plan?" Gunslinger crossed her arms, "Conlon, ya might as well kiss yer wife and kid goodbye. Youse will be dead, Floats will be in some factory, and Katrina – if she's lucky – will be given to da Delanceys sister. I got somethin' dat will work, if yer willin' to listen."

Spot paused, "Gunslingah-"

"Spot, hear her out," Floaty exclaimed as she climbed up the staircase, Katrina was kicking and shrieking in her arms. For a tiny baby, she had a powerful set of lungs. Just like her daddy. For a small moment, Spot felt his chest fill with pride but that pride quickly transformed into fear…his brother holding onto his daughter and raising Katrina as his own….Spot felt sick. There were things he was willing to imagine, and _that _was not one of them.

"We gotta work togedda on dis," Gunslinger lowered her voice, "I ain't tryin' to step on yer toes, Spot. I want me newsies back and I want all da newsies home safely. Heck, I even want da Delancey's sister home to dem so they'll get outta our faces! What I don't want is for to be an unguarded henhouse. When the farmer's away the rattlesnake will play and I promise ya, dere's gonna be a lotta dead chickens. We gotta be da rattlers and let Vampiah and his mindless band of followahs be da chickens dis time."

Spot stared at Gunslinger; his ego had been standing in the way of rescuing the other newsies. He and Jack should have let the others in on their plan the previous night but they were tired, stressed, and afraid of what they'd find….Their friends in a factory or dead. His stomach twisted when he thought of poor Racetrack. Sure, Race was tough, but he had a soft heart. If he saw a newsgirl or a younger newsie being hurt Spot wasn't certain the gambler could hold his tongue. He swallowed and nodded, "Let's heah it."

"What is every person most afraid of?"

Spot stared, "Fire?"

"Thundahstorms?" Mush asked, causing the Delanceys to glance and snicker at him. The muscular newsie glared at the brothers, "It's a good fear, if ya get struck by lightnin' ya life is ovah!"

Gunslinger gritted her teeth and she was obviously becoming frustrated with all the newsies shouting and the Delanceys insults.

"Shut up befoah I send ya all out on a train ta Arizona and see how ya survive dere!" She stomped her foot on the floorboards so hard that the floor slightly shook and caused everyone to fall silent. Everyone stared at her, "As I was saying," she glared at the Delanceys in complete exasperation, "Everyone is deathly afraid of fiah. Dere's an old trick me fadda would use whenever a bar got too full of Johnny Ringo, Ike Clanton, and Curly Bill's men. He would shred papah and put it into glass jars and set da jars near da entrances and windows and he'd light matches and throw dem inside. Da entire saloon was full of smoke and it looked like da place was on fiah when it wasn't. I say we smoke 'em outta deys lodgin' house, our newsies lead da ones dat come out into a trap."

"What kind of trap?" Jack asked, "We don't have cages, Gunslingah."

"I'm gettin' to dat, Cowboy! Stop bein' so pushy like yer old man!" She snarled and backed off when Jack glared at her, pain and anger shining in his eyes. The Bronx leader sighed, "Sorry, Jack, I'se just tired of bein' da leader whose underestimated da most. As I was sayin', I'se got friends who are chimney sweepahs who know of empty buildin's deys use for temporary lodgin' house sometimes. We can lead da newsies into dose buildin's, get da sweepahs help to guard da newsies, while Spot and da oddas find our newsies, free dem, and stop Vampiah. What do you all think?"

"I'se say we got ourselves a plan," Mouse nodded, "I'se got friends who are masons who can help us too. Deys real strong boys and if any Harlem newsie messes wid dem I can't guarentee dem newsies will be in one piece."

"I'se like da plan and I'se think it will work," Jack nodded, "Waddaya say, Spot?"

Spot stared at everyone in the room for a long moment, "I'se say what youse say is what I'se say. I got one more part of da plan ta add on dough. Morris needs to help light da fires and lead da Harlem newsies to dese buildins and Oscar can go in wid us. But," Spot grabbed his cane and pointed the golden tip at the two brothers, "If youse two do anythin', anythin' at all dat makes me think I'se can't trust youse…den youse both will get soaked and will be trapped wid da Harlem newsies. Ya undahstand? I'se will make sure ya both don't see yer sistah."

"Don't threaten us, Conlon," Oscar sneered, "Incase ya forget yer da size of a match stick and we can snap ya in half."

"Try it," Spot growled and shoved his face close to Oscar's, "And youse will know why _I'se_ da King of Brooklyn."

* * *

"I'se know yer gonna like dis," Vampire's voice sounded enthusiastic and excited…something Emily wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with. Over the past two days she had been cooped up in that tiny little bedroom and allowed outside only for bathroom breaks. Her meals had been brought to her by a short blond, freckled, newsgirl with wide blue eyes. She never spoke a word to Emily; she just delivered the food and ran from the room as if her feet were on fire.

"I know I'll love it," Emily forced a smile onto her face, when really all she wanted to do was to pull her hands out of Vampire's clutches and run away in terror. But with the blindfold blocking her vision, Vampire's hands wrapped tightly around hers, and Bandit following so closely behind she knew escape was not an option at the moment.

"Ta da!" Vampire let go of her hands and pulled the scarf off from around her eyes. Emily found herself staring at a medium sized bedroom with two bunks in the corner, a nightstand, and an open trunk full of clothing. In middle of the room was a small square table with a half melted candle atop it; two plates sat on each side of the table with a hamburger, some French Fries, and a pitcher full of water and two glasses beside the candle. The Harlem leader pulled a rickety chair out for Emily and motioned for her to sit down.

Visions of poisoned food haunted her thoughts or of Vampire staring at her like Barbossa had leered at Elizabeth Swann while she ate her meal in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Instead, she focused more on playing shocked and happy.

"Wow, you did this for me?" She forced her eyes to widen, "This is…so…so amazing and romantic….I don't know what to say." Emily carefully sat in the chair and prayed Vampire would let her roam freely and instead of keeping her cooped up in that damned room.

"Ya said all ya needed too…" Vampire squatted down beside her and leaned his face towards hers. Emily's eyes widened and her heart raced in terror, the insane newsboy leader wanted to kiss her. He warned her the other day he wasn't going to wait around forever. She meant to hold still and allow the kiss, but instead drew back. Vampire's eyes narrowed, "What da hell's da mattah? What I ain't good enough now?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw Bandit's sadistic smirk, and watched as he whispered to another newsie. She guessed he had commanded the shorter boy to go get some rope.

"No, that's not it at all," Emily talked faster than she ever had in her life, "I…It's just….I wanted our kiss to be while we were dancing. You know….like Romeo and Juliet dancing and romancing where no one sees them and they slowly embrace and kiss?" She gave a tiny smile and hoped Vampire would buy that. At the moment it was all she could think of. Her grandmother's memories had remained with her but at the moment they were of no help to her.

Vampire stared at her for a long minute and Emily was almost certain she was about to kiss her life goodbye. Instead, the newsboy smiled and put his hands over hers, "Ya want our kiss to be special an' romantic….I'se remembah now ya were always secretly romantic. Aftah dinnah I'se will tell Bandit dere to scram and we'se will be Romeo and Juliet for a while." He reached up to her hair, "Why put it back inta a pig's tail, Emily? Yer hair always looked so much bettah down," he pulled the barrette out of her hair and stroked his fingers through it as the black locks fell onto her back. He pulled a few strands over her shoulders and smiled.

"Now ya look just like ya used too…." He stood and sat down at his seat. He glared at Bandit when the newsboy gave a disgusted sigh and rolled his eyes. "Bandit if ya don't wanna be heah den go guard da door or somethin'! I ain't havin' dis special night ruined by youse attitude."

"It ain't me, Vampiah, whose gonna get burned by dat witch. It's youse!" The newsboy snarled and left the room.

"Ya like dis room, Emily?"

"Yes, it looks comfortable and much more…um…cozy."

"Dat's good, cause it's our room now. I'se wanted to give ya some time in yer own room to gather back some of ya memories before I'se brought ya in heah." He ate a french fry and pointed at the chest. After he swallowed he continued, "Dat chest has youse and I'se clothin' in it. I'se been savin' and buyin' pretty skirts and blouses for ya. When I'm da King of New Yawk, youse won't have to sell papes, I'll make it a rule dat each newsie has give me two cents each day and dat will be for youse. Ya can go shoppin' and do whatevah ya want. Me queen won't have to lift a finger, unlike me brudda's wife."

Emily shifted; she was already uncomfortable being so close to him. But when he talked about Spot and his wife, she wished the Earth would open up and swallow her hole. Vampire hated his brother to the point Emily wasn't certain that he'd hold the Brooklyn newsie captive, as he said he would, and not just kill him out right. She couldn't understand how a brother could hate his older brother so much that he wanted him dead. How did that happen? It couldn't have started with her grandmother, she was certain of that. She knew her grandmother well enough to know she'd never have allowed two boys to fight over her.

"When yer queen," Vampire put a hand over hers, "I want us ta marry and have a baby."

"M…Marriage, a ba…baby?" Emily's mouth went dry, her brain took a vacation, and her heart skipped a beat. _SAY SOMETHING GOOD NOW OR HE'LL GO OFF LIKE A FIRECRACKER!_ A small voice shouted at her from the back of her mind. She forced herself to smile, "That sounds…great….I'm so glad that you're the right one for me, Vampire. I've always dreamed of having a family." _I've never dreamed of being so sickly sweet before,_ she thought as she blinked rapidly and fought back tears. She had to escape…yet she wanted to help Torch and help to free the captured newsies. But….To be trapped and to be forced into…motherhood….She couldn't deal with that. She couldn't and she wouldn't.

Suddenly, Oscar and Morris's faces flashed through her mind. _Don'cha worry Em, _Morris was smiling and pulling her grandmother into a hug, _We'll always get ya outta trouble no mattah what happens. _Her grandmother's memory filled her heart full of hope and Emily knew she could survive this. Soon she would be back with Oscar and Morris, the newsies would escape, and everything would be alright. She had to believe that. She had too and did.

* * *

Racetrack heard loud coughing and looked over at Red; the newsgirl was finally starting to wake up. Her curly blonde hair was matted full of dirt and her bowler cap was halfway falling off her head.

"Red, can ya heah me?" Race asked.

"Racetrack?" She looked over at him, "Sport? Oh Lord….How long have we been here?"

"Race just graced us wid his presence two days ago," Sport replied, "I'se been heah for two and a half, ya been heah for four. We weren't sure youse were gonna come around."

"I'm fine, it's my newsies I'se worried about." She frowned, "I was just made leadah of Queens. One minute I'se was talking to me second in command, Warrior, da next someone hit me from behind. What's goin' on?"

"Harlem and da rest of New Yawk are at war," Sport replied, "Deys been kidnapping us left and right. Until Spot and Floaty get heah, deys holdin' us. But if Spot ain't here by tomorrow afternoon Vampiah, bein' da kind and generous good Samaritan he is, is gonna 'donate' us to da steel meel."

"If he sends us to dat mill he's signin' our death certificates!" Red went a shade paler, something Racetrack had thought impossible. She leaned her head against one of the beams holding the floor up. "Why is all dis happening?"

"Vampiah blames Spot for Emily Delancey's disappearance. Big kicker is, Emily's back and Vampiah has her. After he takes ovah New York he wants to make her his Queen. Right, Race?"

Racetrack nodded, "Right."

"Dat guy is sick in the head!" Red shook her head, "All dis over a girl! Spot ain't gonna give in is he?"

"We are talkin' about da same Spot heah, right?" Sport snorted, "Spot's not gonna give up no mattah what. Knowin' him he's probably awready got Floaty and Katrina in hiding."

"Yeah, and one of youse is gonna tell us where dat is," exclaimed the shadowed figure of a burly newsboy. He and several others walked out of the darkness and into the dim candlelight. Racetrack swallowed, he recognized one of the newsboys as Bandit, Vampire's second in command; he was slapping a stolen nightstick into his hand. The burly newsboy was slipping on a pair of brass knuckles, his green eyes boring into Race's. Race swallowed and understood the unsaid threat perfectly: Tell us what ya know or yer dead. The only problem was, he knew nothing.

"We got no idea where Spot would hide Floaty," Sport swallowed, "So why don't ya just leave us alone?"

"I'se brought water for youse all," a shorter Asian boy smirked and dumped the glass's contents over Sport's head, "Woops. Guess ya go anudda day without water…unless ya tell us where Floaty is."

"We'se don't know!" Race replied.

"We know nothin'!" Red exclaimed and Race glanced over at her again, another newsboy was pressing his blade against her blouse.

"Hey, leave heh alone!" Race struggled against the ropes holding him in place as the newsboy cut off the buttons on Red's blouse.

"Hey!" Bandit snapped at the newsboy, "Vampiah said we'se can do anytin' but dat." He turned back to Racetrack and squatted down in front of him. Race tried to lean away, but the Harlem second in command grabbed the Manhattan newsie's chin and tilted his face upwards. "Tell us what ya know or youse ain't gonna walk for a while."

Race glared at Bandit and spat, "Even if I'se knew I wouldn't tell ya!"

Bandit's eyes seemed to catch on fire, his face turned red, and he snarled as he wiped the spit off his face. He motioned for the newsboy with the nightstick to walk over and Race bit his lip when the black weapon was swung towards his legs.

"564 Century and Vermont Street!" Sport shouted, "Dat's wheah he hides Floaty when deys trouble!"

Race opened his eyes as the nightstick brushed by his pant leg, his heart raced and he gasped inwards. Bandit smirked and motioned for the other Harlem newsies to follow him. Race leaned forward gasping.

"You just got Floaty killed!" Red exclaimed, tears in her eyes, "You shouldn't have said anythin' Sport! How could ya?"

"Relax," Sport smirked, "I'se just sent dem to a very grumpy blacksmith and his apprentices, and trust me when I'se say deys hate late night visits."


	7. Emilys change of heart & The Newsie War

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone, thank you so much for the awesome reviews and for your author and story alerts. :-) Also, I'm showing more of Vampire's dark side in this chapter. Let's just say Vampire's elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.)**_

* * *

"_The world's so big, it can break your heart__  
__And you just want to help, not sure where to start__  
__So you close your eyes__  
__And send up a prayer into the dark…"_

_-Carrie Underwood, Change-_

Kid Blink squared his jaw; he had no problem gathering bottles to create the controlled fire in, but to be partnered with Morris Delancey…_that_ he minded. Opening up a trash can outside of Tibby's, Blink flashed back to the days he had garbage dived for food when he was 8 years old, only a few months after his parents had passed. 9 years ago, he had been going through this can looking for food when Jack Kelly – only two years older than Blink – had walked in the alley asking him 'whatcha doin'?' Blink had retorted he was looking for food, Jack had told him, 'come inta Tibby's wid me, I'll pay for yer food. Den ya can pay me back aftah ya sell a few papes.' That had been the day Kid Blink became a newsie.

"I ain't goin' through dat can," Morris sneered in disgust as Blink prepared to rummage through it.

Blink looked over at the eldest Delancey, "Ya want yer sister back, don'cha? If ya don' then walk away but if ya do start lookin' for bottles!" Blink snapped, when Spot had partnered Morris with him, Blink suddenly understood how an erupting volcano felt. Angry, shaken to the core, and willing to do anything and everything to get whatever was pissing it off out of the way. Unfortunately, he didn't puke lava; if he could, Morris would be nothing more than an extra crispy memory. It was taking him all his patience not to lunge forward and slug the Delancey brother; instead he took a deep breath as Floaty had coached him before he left the lodging house.

"Either ya help me," Blink exclaimed in a trembling voice, "Or I'se walk away and ya gotta get Emily outta Harlem yerself!" He slammed the lid back onto the can and walked towards the alley's exit.

"Fine! Fine!" Morris snapped and overturned the can, "Dis is how ya look, newsie!" He sneered, "Ya don' put yer hands in one of dese things!" He began kicking the mound of garbage around with his foot until he found a glass bottle; he lifted it and threw it to Blink.

"My way is more considerate," Blink retorted, "Now some waiter is gonna hafta clean dat up!"

"Yeah, so? Dat's deys job," Morris snorted, "I'm heah to help me sister, not worry about whose gonna get deys hands dirty." He moved onto the next garbage can and before he could overturn it, Morris let it fall to the ground and jumped back when a loud yowling echoed from inside the can. Blink bit the side of his cheek in an attempt to keep a straight face but doubled over with laughter when the trash can lid came flying off and orange yowling and hissing cat ran out of the alleyway. Morris's arms had waved around his face when the cat lunged out of the can, he had jumped back a few feet and did a strange little dance…perhaps a rain dance to scare alley cats away?

"Quit yer laughin'!" Morris slammed his fist into his open palm, "Or I'll soak ya!"

"Befoah ya soak me," Blink laughed and wiped a tear from his eye, "Lemme go get dat cat back!"

In reply, Morris picked up the garbage can, overturned it and began kicking through it again. For a moment, Blink thought the older Delancey was going to back down, though uncharacteristic of the Delancey brother, it was possible. A minute later a glass jar sailed towards his head. Blink dodged it in time and watched as the bottle landed on the cobblestone street with a loud crack. Cursing, he hoped the jar hadn't broken; he picked it up and found it only to be cracked near the top.

"What da hell?" Morris asked from behind him.

"What?" Blink turned and watched as Morris held up a long silver chain, dangling from it was an oval pendant. "What's dat?"

"A Miraculous Medal," Morris replied, sounding upset. "Someone threw da Virgin Mary away," he snarled in disgust. "Shows ya how much deys give a damn for da woman who gave birth ta da Earth's sav-" he stopped at seeing Blink's stunned expression. Morris glanced away and shoved the medal into his pocket.

"I didn't know ya and Oscar are Catholic," Blink exclaimed. He knew Oscar wore a golden cross with a small red gem in middle of it, though whether that had been faith or decoration he hadn't been sure until that moment.

"Yeah we'se Catholic!" He snapped, "What of it?"

Blink shrugged, "Nothin'. Sheesh ya don't gotta snap at me for statin' a fact!"

Morris glared at him, "Yeah well, stop statin' da obvious." He threw another bottle at Blink. "Ya get da last can!" He leaned against the brick wall and crossed his arms.

Blink glared at him and set down the bottle and jar. Instead of overturning the garbage can, he began searching through it and heard Morris mutter something about him being a goody two shoes newsie. Gritting his teeth, he ignored Morris and thought about Racetrack, Emily, Sport, and Red. He was terrified Racetrack was dead; he couldn't see Vampire keeping any captured newsie – other than Emily – alive. After a long minute of searching, he pulled a glass bottle and chipped jar out of the can.

"I think we found all we'se gonna find heah," Blink exclaimed and gathered up the jars.

"Deys one more place I'll look. Ya get back to da royal highn-ass. And if ya tell me not ta wandah off ya remember somethin': I ain't a newsie, I'se a Delancey."

"Yeah," Blink snorted, "And Vampire kidnapped a Delancey." He winced and realized he had gone below the belt at that comment. Morris tensed and balled his fingers into fists.

"Yeah," Morris exclaimed, his voice suddenly raspy, "He took da only one of us whose innocent and worth somethin'."

* * *

Oscar couldn't believe Spot had paired himself with him! What the hell the most feared newsboy leader wanted to be around him for was over his head. They had been walking around Brooklyn empty handed for the past hour and he was beginning to wonder if Spot had any interest at all in saving his newsies. Finally, he stopped and led Oscar down a long street filled with old broken down apartments and one or two houses that looked like they were holding their breath and wishing their owners to return.

"What da hell are we'se doin' heah? Ya walked around to down…" Oscar paused and looked for a street lamp with the street marker on it, "Rhode Island Street?"

Spot glanced over his shoulder with a sneer but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked ahead, "Dat's what we're heah for."

Oscar looked up to see an elderly African American milkman gathering up old empty milk bottles and carefully placing them in the back of his cart. They here for a milk man? He stared at Spot, wondering if the Brooklyn newsboy leader had finally lost his marbles. The short newsboy walked past Oscar and smiled.

"Heya Joshua!"

The milk man turned and smiled, "Spot Conlon, where's that pretty girl of yers?"

"Back at home wid our daughtah," Spot beamed and stuck out his chest.

"So ya finally got one of yer own?" Joshua chuckled at the proud father. "What can I do for ya today?"

Spot's pride deflated, "We need yer empty bottles and a lot of dem."

Joshua stopped and stared at Spot. The grave expression on his face spoke louder than words. Oscar glanced between the man and boy for a moment wondering if either were going to speak or move or if they'd be standing there all afternoon. If the staring match took any longer, Oscar would walk off and steal glass jars and bottles if he had too.

"So it is true? There is a newsie war and there have been kidnappings," Joshua frowned. "Damn, I was afraid of that. My cousin's a newsie over in Brownsville; tell me da war ain't there too."

"It's at each borough, Brownsville is one of da few on Harlem's side." Spot crossed his arms, "I've been workin' hard to keep me newsies outta dere, I don't want yer cousin hurt. But if he hurts me friends or comes aftah me…."

Joshua nodded, "I understand," he held up a hand, "Spot I gotta refill these bottles and deliver them again in a few days….I can't give up any."

"Not even da ones ya just took up? Dat family's on vacation," Spot smirked, "Deys won't be back for two weeks. Youse will have yer bottles back den, maybe even a few more."

"Yer askin' me to put my job on the line. I have a grandchild to support."

"I know," Spot replied, "I wouldn' be askin' ya if I'se thought me friends lives were safe. Harlem's leadah ain't known for his good tempahment." He waited, "I'se was hopin' not to hafta say dis, but Joshua, Vampire kidnapped an innocent goil." He motioned for Oscar to step forward, "Oscah Delancey's sistah, Emily. She ain't like dis moron."

"Watch it ya lousy little twerp!" Oscar snarled, "I'se ain't got any problem soakin' ya-"

Spot gave him an icy glare, "Da last time youse tried, as I remembah it, ya limped off and walked around on a crutch for almost a month aftahwards!"

"Dat was some daydream in youse head, Conlon."

Joshua stared at the two, "If he acts like that, what proof do ya have that Emily is any different?" He placed another bottle into the cart.

Oscar stepped forward before Spot could speak, "Me sista," Oscar exclaimed, "Would give ya da shirt off her back if she thought ya needed it more dan she did. Hell, she'd give youse some of her wages to help wid dat kid! Youse don't gotta believe me, but believe dis: Da Harlem leadah has plans for me sistah." Oscar paled and his stomach flipped at the very idea of what Vampire Conlon could be doing to his poor sister at that very moment, "For all I know," his voice softened, "He has heh tied down on some bed…an'…" he stopped, unable to go any further. The idea of his sister being abused like that….

"Here," Joshua grabbed eight bottles out of the card and handed them to Spot, "Two weeks." He looked at Oscar, "I hope your sister will be alright and I'm real sorry about what's goin on with her. But if ya ever come near my cart again," he pointed at his Clydesdale, "I'll have no problem letting Clyde run you over. Spot, you owe me two favors now."

"Both I'll repay," Spot nodded as he carefully handed Oscar four of the bottles.

* * *

Emily stared at her reflection in the mirror and she instantly disliked what she saw. Her grandmother had always told her, _If you ever want to know what kind of person you are, look in the mirror and judge yourself through another's eyes…not just your looks but your actions._ These past few days she had allowed herself to be a victim of the crazy Vampire Conlon; of course she was terrified for her life. But did that mean she couldn't be brave like her grandmother was? Did that mean she had to play her role and just survive and pray for help?

_One who wants help needs to help themselves first_ her grandmother, the real Emily Delancey, had always taught her. Emily knew at that moment she had to help herself before she could depend on others; it was time to stop depending on Torch to keep her safe, time to stop hoping her great uncles would save her, and time to stop doubting her own survival skills. A spark she had never seen before lit her eyes like a fire and for a moment she saw a younger version of her grandmother staring at her. Emily's hand went over her locket, _I can do this._

Taking a deep breath she turned towards the door and knocked on it. Torch's face appeared when the door cracked open.

"I want to see Vampire," she exclaimed in a strong tone of voice. Torch stared at her for a moment and looked ready to argue but the look on her face stopped him. He stood up and stared at her and for a moment Emily wondered why he staring at her as if he had never seen her before. Whatever the reason, she ignored it and went to sit down on the edge of the bed. She looked down at the pearl bracelet Vampire had given her, he wanted to make her his 'Queen' and if she wanted to help save the newsies then she needed to put her big girl pants on and play the role she had been given. Not just survive it.

Vampire walked into the room a minute later, "Emily, Torch said youse asked for me, youse okay?"

Emily forced herself to smile, _Pretend he's Blink. This has gotta be real. It has to be. At least to him._ "I'm fine, I missed ya, dat's all." She hoped her accent was convincing enough.

Vampire opened his mouth slightly and shut it and stared at her for a long minute. Emily's stomach clenched, _oh crap…he knows I'm acting…_

A smile suddenly crossed the Harlem leader's face, "Dere's me goil." He opened up his arms and Emily walked into them and wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. When he tried to back away she placed a hand behind his head and pulled him back to her; she heard him chuckle and mutter 'dere's da goil I'se know…'

"So…." Emily smiled and hoped she was channeling her grandmother, "I am tired of being cooped up in dis room like a…I dunno, a doll or somethin'. I'm a Delancey I come from strong stock, I'se ain't gonna break. How 'bout you an' me work togedda on endin' Spot's reign."

Vampire raised an eyebrow, "Youse used ta like him….How do I'se know youse still don't have feelin's for him?"

"Ya kiddin' me," Emily snorted and did her best to look heartbroken (by thinking of her grandmother's passing). "When I came back, Blink told me ya waited for me…but Spot went off and married some bimbo twit named Floaty. I'se couldn' believe it at foist den I realized I'se was confused…back then…it was youse I wanted all along…not dat egotistic…nymph."

Vampire threw back his head and laughed, "Egotistic nymph! I love it and boy does dat describe me brudda." His eyes sparkled and he motioned to Torch, "Dis door only closes when Emily wants it shut, undahstand?"

"Yeah…" Torch nodded and stared at Emily for a long moment. He seemed confused. She gave him a strong and confident smile and leaned into Vampire. She would explain later about her 'sudden change of heart' and 'regained memories.'

"I'se glad ya remembah cause tonight's da night, Emily. Tonight's da night ya become queen."

"Oh? Will I have a crown?"

Vampire smirked, "Youse will have a key, dat's as closest to a crown youse will get."

"A key to the city I hope."

Vampire paused, "Youse know what else is gonna happen?"

"What?" Emily smiled.

"Tonight, Sport and Racetrack Higgins are gonna be goin' through some trials."

"Trials?" Emily's stomach twisted.

"Yeah, youse evah heard of da Salem Witch Trials?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Well, I'se declarin' dem two witches."

Emily felt like throwing up; she knew how those poor women and one man had died during the Salem Witch Trials. The women were thrown into a well or lake and held down to drown, if they woke up they were considered the Devil's wife or employee according to different versions. Other women were burned at the stake and the man had rocks of all sizes piled onto his chest until his rib cage gave in and he was crushed to death.

"You're goin' ta kill dem?" Emily asked, trying to keep her voice strong.

"Deys gonna be boined at da stake. Luckily, our lodgin' house is away from da city and someone will just t'ink we'se cookin' outdoors," Vampire smiled. "Tonight at ten o'clock little Racey and Sport are goin' to da wild blue yondah." He stood and offered Emily his hand, she took it, though inside she was disgusted, and forced herself to play along. Maybe, just maybe, she could kick Torch out of the lodging house and he could warn Spot. _I knew Vampire was nuts but I didn't think he was _completely_ off his rocker!_

"Before ya do that…" Emily paused near the door and glared at Torch, "I need him ta do somethin' for me."

"Oh? What's dat?" Vampire asked.

Emily walked over to Torch, "Deliver dis to Spot for me." She raised her hand and slapped Torch with all her might, when he leaned forward, holding his cheek she whispered, "I'm sorry but you gotta save them. It's the only way I knew how to get you outta here."

Torch stared at her and gave a slight nod, "I'se goin' to delivah da message." He looked at Vampire, who gave an amused nod.

* * *

"Ya say a single thing an' I'se will soak youse!"

Floaty looked up as Morris entered the lodging house with Kid Blink; the eldest Delancey was surly as usual only this time he looked uncomfortable, not just angry. She paused from stuffing twigs, newspaper, and moss into one of the many jars newsies from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Little Italy had brought her, Snipeshooter, Dandy, and Piper over the past few hours. Blink set down two bottles and three jars and Morris set down five bottles in front of them.

"What do we'se do now?" Blink paced and Floaty could tell he wanted to do more than look more glassware or shove anything burnable into the bottles and jars. Knowing Blink, she assumed he wanted to go into Harlem and get Racetrack, Sport, Red, and the other newsies back. That was what every newsie, including herself, wanted to do.

Floaty paused, "You can either help me or you can go into the next room with Jack, two of the other leaders, and a group of newsies. They're all planning their positions once their inside the lodging house." She glanced at Morris, his jaw was squared and she could see the worry and fear etched across his face. Even though she despised the Delancey brothers, part of her wanted to walk over and assure him his sister would be alright. But she couldn't promise that, no matter how badly she wanted too.

"Morris, Oscar and Spot will be back soon and you three will be the first going in from what I've been hearing. You should go in dere with Blink."

"Yeah…" he paused and stopped in front of her, "Listen, I'se don' like youse." He paused, "But youse been real nice ta me an' Oscah and got us good places ta sleep heah. Jack and Conlon wanted us ta sleep on da floor and youse found an extra bunk." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace, before she could ask what it was he placed it into her hand. "If youse Catholic, youse know what it is. She'll keep youse safe while we'se gone tonight."

Floaty nodded, "Thank…you," she was completely stunned by the gesture of kindness and concern. She looked down at medal of Mary and decided to give it to Spot when he returned; he'd be needing it more than she would tonight. Those two qualities she would never have expected from a Delancey. She glanced up at the door every now and then, waiting for Spot to return. She knew she was supposed to be at some safe house with Katrina but she had put her foot down and told Spot she would be doing her part to get their friends back. No ands, if's, or buts about it.

"So youse friends wid a milk man," Oscar exclaimed as he walked in, Spot followed behind him, his arms filled with glass bottles. "Next thing I'se know youse gonna tell me youse crochet lace doilies! Who'd a thunk it? Spot Conlon da 'mighty' leadah of Brooklyn is a woman at heart!" He started to laugh until Spot's fist sailed into his stomach.

"Shut da hell up Oscah! Encase youse forgettin'," Spot snarled, "It's me newsies puttin' deys necks out to help get youse sister – anudda Delancey – outta trouble! Keep dis up and I'se will leave her behind!"

"Spot Conlon!" Floaty snapped.

Spot jumped, "Floats…"

"This is stressful on everyone!" Floaty glared at the two, "But dat doesn't mean it gives ya two the right to trade insults! If we're gonna get our friends outta Harlem it means ya both gotta live up to the truce or none of you will get out of there alive! And be damned, I am not losing my friends or my husband! Now straighten up and get along!"

The two boys stared at her for a moment and Floaty's face turned bright red. She had lost her temper with Spot before but not in front of a Delancey! Spot and Oscar put the bottles down in front of her and the group of younger newsies helping her. Before Spot could join Jack and the other leaders, the lodging house doors flew open and Torch ran in. He was panting and stammering.

"Torch?" Spot walked over, "What's goin' on?"

"Who da hell is dis?" Oscar asked, staring at the out-of-breath-newsboy.

"One of me little boids," Spot replied and looked at Blink's older brother.

"Race…Red…Sport…Deys gonna….deys gonna…be boined at da stake tonight."

"WHAT?" Everyone in the room shouted in horror.

"He's gone too far!" Spot shouted, "Jacky boy youse and da uddahs get out heah now! We'se goin'! Deys gonna kill our friends!"

"If he tries dat wid our sistah" Morris snarled as he walked quickly out of the room, "I'se will kill him!"

"He bettah not get a rope anywheah near Emily!" Oscar snarled.

"We have most of the jars ready," Floaty exclaimed, "But there's still…."

"Dis is gonna hafta be enough," Spot replied as he helped Floaty to her feet and pulled her into a long embrace. She handed him the medal of Mary and kissed him.

"Come home safely, Katrina and I need you. So does every other newsie in this city," she stared into her husband's eyes for a long moment. She tried to keep the thought, _what if this is the last time I see him_ out of her mind and her vision became blurry as her eyes prickled.

"Don'cha cry," Spot exclaimed softly as the newsies began gathering the bottles and jars and walking out of the lodging house. "I'se will be back in a few hours…safe an' sound. I'se Brooklyn, remembah?" he smiled and kissed her cheek, "I'se love youse and Katrina so much."

"And we love you more than words can say."

Spot gently pulled out of her embrace and glanced back over his shoulder at her as he followed the newsies out. There was no more planning, no more preparation; all there was now was war. A newsie war and Floaty prayed Spot and her friends were the victors.


	8. Into Harlem & Falling off the Bridge

_**Disclaimer: I do not own newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney.**_

_**(A/N: Hi everyone, thank you all so much for all the awesome reviews! :) As promised, here is the final chapter. I know this story took me a long time to finish but thank you all for hanging in there! I couldn't have finished it without you guys! Also, the stretcher Gunslinger makes in this chapter is based off the ones my great-grandmother's tribe made for their hunters and warriors. My great grandmom was a Mohawk Medicine Woman. :-))**_

* * *

"_You tried so hard to save me__  
__How do you save someone from themselves?__  
__All those years, wasted wishes__  
__Drowning in the wishing well..."_

_-25 Years by Blackmore's Night-_

The night was almost eerily silent, as if every creature knew something was wrong, even the rats that usually plagued the trash cans were absent. The homeless man settled down in an alleyway beside the Harlem Boot Factory and pulled a few discarded newspapers around him and imagined them to be sheets. Sheets in some fancy hotel; he chuckled and coughed at that thought. The last time he had been in a hotel was to find someplace warm last winter and the manager had kicked him out. A noise suddenly interrupted the quiet night and the man's thoughts, looking up his eyes widened and he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating. The sight seemed odd, dangerous, and downright spooky.

A group of boys with news bags slung over their shoulders walked silently through the night led by a short boy with a cane hanging from his belt loop. The man looked across the street and could see other large groups of teenagers walking past. Standing up and scratching his head, the man watched as the group of boys silently passed him. Where were they heading to? Why did they look so serious and grave?

The man opened his mouth to ask the boys where they were heading, but the look a boy wearing a red bandanna and cowboy hat gave him sent shivers up and down the man's spine. Whatever was about to happen was not good and he wanted to get the hell out of dodge. If people were going to die tonight, he didn't want the bulls questioning him. Backing down the alleyway he walked onto John Adams Street and froze. More teenagers were walking past! These led by a girl, unlike the last time the girl stopped and looked at him, "Friend, if I were you, I'd get outta here."

The man didn't need to be told twice; he walked the opposite direction and hoped he'd never see the kids again.

* * *

Racetrack kicked and struggled as two burly Harlem newsboys dragged him out of the basement. He would have been shouting and screaming at them if it weren't for the fact they had stuffed an old sock in his mouth to shut him up. Bridges grabbed on tighter to one of his arms and Badger's grip reminded him of those machines that smashed bottle caps onto the tops of glass bottles. He wondered where the two boys were taking him and looked up to see several wooden poles in the ground, all were taller than most of the newsboys here. He looked over at Vampire in horror and wondered what the Spot's crazy brother had planned for him. His gaze froze on Emily Delancey, who was standing beside Vampire; her gaze met his for a second and Race couldn't tell if she was excited to see what was about to happen or if she was trying to tell him something.

Bridges and Bandit slammed Racetrack's back onto the pole so hard that he was temporarily blinded by pain. A minute later his wrists were tied behind the pole and the new Harlem newsies continued to bind his shoulders and midriff onto it. Race's eyes widened when he looked down. Twigs, newspapers, moss, branches, and small plants had been piled around him and Vampire was holding a match.

_NO! PLEASE GOD NO!_ Racetrack shouted through his gag and tried to free himself from the pole. He didn't read much but he had heard of stories of people being burned at stakes and from his understanding it was a terrifying and painful…and no one survived it. He watched as more Harlem newsies, many who looked uncertain about this but terrified to go against their leader's orders, dragged Sport, Red, and the four other captured newsies and tied each to a separate pole.

"No," Vampire shouted, "Tie Sport up wid Higgins. Let dem burn together!" He smirked, "Deys such pallies in da basement deys should die togedda."

Race snarled at Vampire and glanced at Emily, wishing she would do something. Anything. But what was he expecting? She was a Delancey and a Delancey would never help a newsie…it was just the way their world worked. He looked away from them and twisted his wrists and struggled against the ropes. If he worked hard…he could escape. _C'mon Higgins, youse gotten yerself outta bad situations befoah! _But never one like this. He looked up to see Vampire walking towards him with a lit match and the world seemed to shrink around the crazy Conlon. Vampire was almost to him when several of the newsies shouted fire.

"Of course dere's a fire youse dimbulbs!" Vampire shouted, "I'se startin' it!"

"In da lodgin' house!" Bandit shouted, "Our lodgin' house in on fiah!"

* * *

Emily turned and saw the lodging house was on fire; smoke billowed out the open windows and beneath the doors. Vampire dropped the match and his hand clasped around her wrist like a vice.

"Emily," he looked down at her, "Youse stay heah and don't move." He dragged her away from the lodging house, "Bandit, Bridges, Shorty, Piggy youse all get watah!" He tucked a strand of Emily's hair behind her ear and stared down at her, "Stay heah, awright? I'se don' want ya hurt!"

Emily nodded and watched as the Harlem leader ran into the lodging house; she cringed knowing the boy was crazy for running into a fire without water or some kind of protection. She watched as Vampire's main newsies ran behind the lodging house towards the three docks that extended in the ship yard.

"Everyone, please listen to me!" Emily watched as the Harlem newsies talked loudly amongst themselves, not seeming to notice her. "Everyone will you….Oh for Pete's sake!" Taking a deep breath she tucked two fingers into her mouth and gave an ear piercing whistle. The Harlem newsies now seemed to notice her existence. She took a deep breath, "Hey! Listen up! There are more of you than there are of Vampire and his goons! I know you're afraid of dem! But ya gotta fight back and ya can begin by helpin' me untie dese newsies! Dey don't deserve to be in dis situation, no one does! Whose with me?"

The newsies stared at her and everything became so silent that Emily swore she heard a cricket chirp. "Please! I can't untie them all before Vampire gets back and I'm sure as hell not goin' to let them die! Whose willin' ta help me?" Once again, silence greeted her.

"We're talkin' about human lives here!" Emily was exasperated, "If you won't help me then I'll do it myself!" Two hands suddenly landed on her shoulders and fear traveled through her. Her throat seemed to close, her mouth went as dry as sand, she felt like a rattlesnake was uncoiling within her stomach and striking her heart with fear.

"We'se will help," exclaimed a familiar voice.

Emily's eyes widened, _it can't be!_ She thought to herself and spun around. Oscar and Morris smiled down at her.

"Heya sis long time no see!" Oscar beamed.

"Oscar, Morris!" Emily shouted and wrapped her arms around Oscar in a long hug. Morris joined in on the hug. When the two let her go she was amazed to see what appeared to be a tidal wave of newsies traveling towards the trapped newsies. Within a few short minutes Racetrack and his friends were free. Race was limping past her and he stopped and stared at her.

"T'ank youse," he exclaimed, "I'se thought ya didn't care what happened ta me."

"I do! I…I had to act and it was the hardest thing ever, please forgive me."

Race shook his head, "Dere ain't nothin' to forgive," he gave her a small smile, "Whatcha did was real brave. Come ta da tracks wid me sometime, eh? Maybe youse can help me find da winnin' horse?"

Emily laughed, "Will do…" she started until Vampire and his close band of friends piled out of the lodging house. She watched another newsboy who looked just like Vampire, only with lighter hair and eyes, walked towards Vampire with a snarl on his face. She looked at Oscar and Morris.

"Dat's Spot Conlon, leadah of Brooklyn." Morris exclaimed, "We'se need ta get youse outta heah!"

* * *

"Well, well, youse had da courage to come to me lodgin' house but ya toined yellow at da very last moment! Fake fires, real clevah!" Vampire laughed.

Spot felt his temper rise, like magma traveling to the top of a volcano and he would blow his top soon. He grabbed the top of his cane and squeezed it and thought of Floaty and Katrina; if he let his temper soar he'd only be proving what Vampire believed him to be – an idiot who couldn't control his emotions – and he'd never return home to his wife and child. The latter thought terrified him more…the thought of never seeing his wife and baby again forced him to control his emotions.

"No Vampiah," Spot sneered, "Unlike youse, I don't go off hurtin' innocent people especially da children in dat lodgin' house! I'se heah to put an end to youse leadahship of Harlem!"

"And how do youse plan ta do dat?" Vampire crossed his arms and chuckled as he raised an eyebrow. "Youse gonna wave ya cane around shoutin' 'Nevah fear, Brooklyn is heah?' or 'I'se Brooklyn!' Dat shit don't scah me, youse just an idiot!" He walked in a circle around Spot and Spot could clenched his teeth together. He wanted to soak his damned brother and glanced at Jack and the other newsies around him. He knew the tension in the air would soon snap like a person breaking a piece of wood in half. Just as easy as it was to open a pocket watch Vampire shouted the word, the one single word, that broke the tension in the air, "Attack dese lunatics! Conlon's MINE!"

Spot was able to see Oscar and Morris rushing their sister away from the lodging house, apparently his brother saw this too since he took a step follow them.

"Whose da idiot now? Wantin' ta chicken out of a stand down youse been waitin' for since she went missin'!" Spot and shouted and threw the first punch. His fist cut across Vampire's jaw; he watched as his brother stumbled back shocked and angered.

"I'se was gonna be willin' ta let youse live a bit longah," Vampire snarled, "But not aftah dat!" He lunged forward and his hands landed on Spot's shoulders. Spot shouted as he tumbled backwards onto the ground, pain roared through him when he landed and for a moment he saw colorful stars dancing in front of him, almost blurring out Vampire. He blinked and raised his fist in time to catch his brother's fist.

"Youse know what I'se gonna do?" Vampire growled, "Aftah I'se kill youse, I'se gonna go aftah dat pretty bubble headed wife of yers and I'se gonna kill heh. I'se was gonna kill da kid too but I'se t'ink Emily would make a good mudda don' youse?"

Anger coursed through Spot and gave him the strength he needed to flip over, now Vampire was lying on the ground and Spot was squatting down on top of him. Spot raised his fist and sent it sailing into his brother's face. "Youse will nevah touch me wife and child! Nevah! Youse hear dat! I'se will kill youse if youse evah mention dat again!"

Vampire laughed and suddenly jerked his elbow into Spot's chest. Spot gasped and fell backwards, the breath momentarily knocked out of him. He coughed and gagged as Vampire stood up and reached into his belt, Spot watched as he brought out a long bladed pocket knife.

"Bye-Bye Spotty, I'se dethronin' youse now." Vampire smirked and struck the blade downwards. Spot rolled out of the way at the last moment and watched as the sharp tip of the blade became embedded into the soil. His heart raced but he stood and caught his breath and lunged at his brother before Vampire could retrieve his knife. He sent his fist flying into Vampire's face. Never would he allow his brother to harm anyone, especially not his family, ever again! Suddenly hands were grabbing Spot back and pulling him away from Vampire.

"Get off me!" Spot wriggled and struggled.

"Spot!" Jack shouted, "Youse gonna kill him!"

"So what?"

"Youse ain't like him!" Jack shouted, "If ya kill him he'd only be happy wid dat! Youse be provin' youse no bettah dan him! Is dat what youse want?"

Spot froze, suddenly realizing his best friend was right. He looked down at Vampire's swelling face. It had turned red and a good shiner was forming around his left eye, his bottom lip was split open and bleeding. Yet the newsboy was looking up at him with an insane smile. Spot felt anger grasp hold of his heart again but he fought it and looked at Jack.

"What about da uddah newsies, deys givin' youse more trouble?"

"No, da ones who terrified da oddas are tied up to dem posts. The Harlem newsies are sick of him." He nodded his head down at Vampire, "Deys want youse to choose deys new leadah."

Spot nodded and turned back towards Vampire and his eyes widened. His brother had somehow and quickly escaped. But where? He looked at Jack and a thought hit them both.

"Emily," he exclaimed in unison. Spot knew his brother, if he couldn't have Harlem than he would have the woman he was obsessed with, Emily Delancey.

"We'se will help youse find Vampire and keep him away from Emily!" Racetrack exclaimed.

"No," Spot shook his head, "Youse all are goin' back to Brooklyn and goin' ta get off youse feet for a while! Don' argue wid me!"

* * *

Oscar, Morris, and Emily had made it onto the Brooklyn Bridge when someone barreled into them like a cannonball.

"What da hell?" Oscar shouted as he stumbled forward. He looked at Morris, who was grabbing his hat off the ground. He turned; he couldn't find Emily for a moment and saw her a second later.

Emily shrieked and tried to pull herself away from Vampire, "Let go of me!" She tried to pull her arm around the insane newsboy's clutches, but his grip only tightened.

"No way in hell," Vampire growled, "Youse belong ta me! Youse mine, we love one anudda and I'se takin' youse wid me!"

"I don't love you!" Emily felt the warm sting of tears raise in her eyes; she didn't want to be trapped with this lunatic again! Her brothers were already running towards her and before she knew what was happening, Vampire climbed onto the railing of the bridge and pulled her up with him.

"If I fall, she falls!" Vampire shouted and pulled Emily into his arms. He whispered into her ear, "Youse love me and youse know it. Youse don' want youse bruddas to know!"

"I hate you!" Emily shouted and shrieked when he pushed her closer to the edge. She clasped her hands around his shoulder and screamed when she almost fell off the bridge.

"If youse hated me youse wouldn't have grabbed hold of me!" Vampire smirked as he shared his twisted knowledge.

"Let heh go, Vampiah!" Morris shouted.

"Let heh go to us!" Oscar exclaimed and walked towards the two, his heart pounding. They had just gotten their sister back! For a while she had been safe! Now she was in that damn bastard's clutches again!

"She stays wid me!" Vampire shouted as Spot and several other newsies skidded to a stop in front of the two.

"Vampiah!" Spot shouted, "Just let heh come ta us, we'se will let ya go, I'se promise!"

"Back off, brudda! Dis has nothin' ta do wid youse no moah! Youse all back off!"

Emily stared at the small crowd of newsies around her and whimpered. The nightmare she had nights ago flashed back to her with the dream of the older woman's face in the ocean. Suddenly, she saw the older woman's blurry form in the sea below her and recognized it as her grandmother. The image was smiling at her and whispering, _"Just let go."_ The same words from her dream.

One of Emily's worst fears was heights and this was high. If she fell she'd die. But she didn't want to be stuck with Vampire for one minute longer. She looked at Oscar and Morris and mouthed 'I love you.' They began pushing their way through the crowd of newsies. Emily let go of Vampire's hand.

"What da hell are youse doin'?" He asked her.

"This!" She shouted and used all her weight to force Vampire backwards. The newsboy screamed and shouted, his arms waving in the air trying to grab hold of something. Emily was almost falling towards the newsies when Vampire's hand grabbed her hair, she shrieked and heard her brothers and the newsies shrieking her name as she fell backwards. She felt her fingertips meet someone else's momentarily before all she could see was the bridge's huge suspense beams. Suddenly, the bridge vanished and her body fell through air with nothing solid to grab hold to; she shrieked and cried out in terror. Pain traveled through her body as the water greeted her and everything went black.

* * *

He had to find her, he had too! Kid Blink tripped over another rock under the bridge around the area he had seen Emily splash. Oscar and Morris had dived into the ocean to find their sister, only coming up for air and to ask a newsie if anyone had seen their sister.

"Woah, comin' up!" Shouted Jack as he pulled Blink out of the way. Vampire' pale body bobbed up to the surface after almost four hours. His lips were blue, his mouth open wide in a silent scream, his eyes were glazed and gave a blank eerie stare. The memory would engrain itself into Blink's mind forever.

Spot, at hearing Jack's shouts swam over to the bank and climbed onto land. Ignoring the stares and pushing his way through the several newsies attempting to hold him back he walked towards the body. Blink, Jack, and every newsie around them fell silent as Spot's eyes met his brother's cold glazed eyes. Spot didn't say a single word for a long few minutes, Blink had no idea how long it had been since time seemed to stand still. Then, Spot blinked a few times and a single tear escaped the corner of his eye.

"Youse damned bum. Youse messed up yer chance! Dis ain't want muddah wanted or what I'se wanted for youse." He shook his head, "Damned waste…." He glared at the newsies, "Whatcha lookin' at?"

The newsies turned away and continued their search, though every so often they'd glance behind their shoulders to see the Stonewall Jackson of the newsie world talking and sometimes shouting at his brother's body. Spot's anger and mourning didn't last long though, Blink heard the Brooklyn leader mutter a "Goodbye Vampire," to his brother before standing up.

"Spot," Jack exclaimed as Spot approached them, "We'se can't leave his body dere."

"I'se know dat," he snapped. "We'se gotta search for Emily first dough. What happened wasn't fair ta heh. When she's found I'se will need help takin' me brudda back to Brooklyn."

"Brooklyn? Spot ah youse shoah youse want him…dat close to ya?" Blink shifted, he gathered from the end of the newsie war Spot and Vampire hadn't been close. Yet, in another way he understood. If he and Torch weren't close and Torch died, he'd want his brother close to him too.

"He's me brudda, Blink," Spot replied, "No mattah what he's done he's me brudda. He's needs a proper burial an' not in some strange place." Spot's shoulders weren't held as high as usual, they were slumped downwards and his eyes were glazed with unshed tears that he kept fighting back. "I'se ain't choosin' to remembah him from today or dese past few yeahs. I'se choosin' ta remembah da brudda I'se grew up wid….Youse woulda liked him back den…" he glanced at Blink, "He was a lot like youse back den…."

"Who was it who came up?" Morris shouted as he bobbed his head to the surface, he looked terrified and completely unaware of what Spot had just been through. Blink wasn't certain Morris would care about Vampire's body being found, if anything the eldest Delancey would probably celebrate the newsboy's death. But at the moment, Morris looked afraid; he didn't look scared for his own well being as he had during the strike. Seeing the Delancey brothers this terrified for someone else…seemed unnatural. Proving they were humans. Something Blink had never seen them as before; he had always viewed them as heartless bullies but in the past few days he had been seeing another side of them he had never known about. He was beginning to understand why Emily loved her brothers so much.

Over the next few hours they traveled away from the bridge and Blink overheard Jack muttering that current may have taken Emily out into the sea. If she was still alive, a fishing boat or a steam ship may have found her but the outlook was bleak. Blink felt tears rushing to his eye, he didn't know why he felt so strongly about a girl he barely knew; but Spot explained earlier that this was how he felt about Floaty. After only one meeting she owned his heart. Talking about his wife seemed to calm him and take temporarily distract him from his brother's death. Emily owned Blink's and he had no doubt about that. He panted and went to sit down on an overturned buggy's wheel that had washed up on shore ages ago. As he sat down he heard a soft moan, jumping he turned around and found a crumpled figure sprawled out a few feet away from him.

"Oh my God…." Blink whispered, "I found her! I found Emily!"

* * *

Emily gasped as she tried to draw air into her lungs and was met with a blinding pain instead; she turned over onto her side and coughed. Her throat became tense and her chest painfully constricted. A minute later her body was wracked by hard coughs and she began to cough and spit up ocean water; a hand was suddenly pounding on her back.

"Dat's it….Keep coughin' it up," a softer male voice encouraged as the hand continued to hit her back. The slaps against her back hurt but helped her to keep coughing up the last of the salty water that had been trapped within her lungs. After a few minutes the coughs slowly died away and water no longer escaped her lungs. The hand stopped hitting her back and two arms wrapped under her shoulders. Emily screamed when a blinding pain shot up for her left leg and right arm.

"My arm…my leg…I can't move them…hurts…." Her eyes had already been blurred with tears and they finally escaped the confines of her eyelids and streamed down her cheeks. For a long minute she couldn't recall what had happened then the memories came rushing back to her like someone pouring water into a bucket. She had been on the Brooklyn bridge against her will, balancing trying to reach the newsboy she had been wanting to see for so long, Kid Blink and wanting to return with her brothers. Vampire had grabbed her hair and pulled her down with him and the ocean had quickly greeted her.

"I'se need help turnin' heh ovah," the familiar voice exclaimed and two other pairs of hands helped the boy who had helped her. She was suddenly leaning against a warm body and Emily found herself staring up at Kid Blink, Morris, and a boy dressed as a cowboy. Jack Kelly, she recalled meeting him days earlier at the distribution center.

"Morris," she beamed at her eldest brother and looked up, "Oscar," she smiled and he returned it, she looked forward, "Blink!" She reached her good arm out to him and he took her hand and kissed the top of it.

"Hey Emily," he greeted with a small smile, "We'se gonna get youse home safely and a doc will come help wid dem bones. Deys might be broken."

Emily nodded, "Are Racetrack and the others alright?"

She felt Oscar nod, "Deys fine, awready at da Brooklyn lodgin' house deys waitin' ta see how youse ah doin'." He kissed the top of her head and Emily heard Oscar sniffle before he continued, "We'se thought….We'se thought we'se had lost youse for shoah."

"Nah, I'm too stubborn to get lost," Emily chuckled and winced, laughing even hurt.

Her brothers and Blink laughed. Several other newsies began joining them and as they introduced themselves Emily wasn't sure she could remember all their names. The newsies were from different boroughs, and to her surprise, even a few from Harlem were there. After a few minutes her brothers and Blink worked together to help Emily onto her good leg. Oscar held Emily under her good arm; Morris kept an arm around her waist; and Blink and Jack had worked together to convert the rope Jack always wore around his waist into a temporary sling for her arm. Standing up hurt like hell but Emily knew she could do it, leaning against her brothers she hopped on her good leg and whimpered when the jolt caused pain to shoot through her broken leg and arm.

"Youse doin' great, Em," Morris encouraged her, "Can ya travel awright like dis."

"I think I…." She started before another jolt of pain shot through her. Emily cried out in pain and slumped forward.

"Dis ain't gonna work," Oscar frowned, "We'se gotta do somethin' different!"

"If you want somethin' done right," drawled a new voice belonging a newsgirl who looked more like she should be in the Wild West than in New York, "Leave it up to a woman." The newsgirl smiled at Emily, "The names Gunslinger and yer a mighty brave woman for kickin' Vampire like that. Couldn't have done any better than that myself." She pointed to Jack and a boy named Specs and sent them searching for sturdy pieces of driftwood and any kind of rope they could find.

"You, young Delancey," Gunslinger held out her hand, "Take off the shirt and give it t me."

"What? I'se ain't takin' off me shirt youse crazy newsie!" Oscar's face turned red and he smirked a second later, "If youse wanted me like dat ya shoulda said somethin'."

Gunslinger rolled her eyes, "Oscar, I'm toleratin' you because you happen to be her brother. I need your shirt for your sister to lay on, you imbecile!"

"Enough!" Spot shouted as he walked over, "Da newsie war may have ended but da truce between da Newsies and da Delancey bruddas is gonna remain until Emily's healed. Everyone undahstand dat?"

Oscar, Morris, and several newsies nodded after a moment Gunslinger agreed with a nod. As the newsies began searching for rope, driftwood, and any kind of fabric to wrap Vampire's body up in, Blink sat down beside Emily.

"I'se…uh…been wantin' to talk to youse," he exclaimed after he was certain Oscar and Morris were too busy arguing amongst themselves about which was better: Sundaes or apple pies. He shifted, "I'se…really like youse."

Emily for a minute thought she was hearing things; Blink had seemed so shy and sweet. She had been convinced before that he didn't want anything to do with her after seeing her at the distribution center. It seemed being a Delancey served a wonderful barrier to end a social life with the newsies. Seeing her brothers and the newsies working together under a truce brought happiness to her and deep inside she knew this was what her grandmother wanted and she felt happy and warm. She also felt sad; part of her wanted to return home but she didn't want to leave Oscar, Morris, and Blink. She had no idea how to get home anyway, maybe by going back on the river ferry but she swore that off almost immediately. She realized by avoiding ferries of any kind her heart had made the decision for her, she wanted to remain in this time not in the future. It was a strange and sad kind of feeling but at the same time it was warm and happy, almost like a sigh of relief.

Blink licked his lips and shifted, looking more nervous than a three legged cat trying to get into a litter box; Emily blushed and couldn't believed she had just used one of her cousin's southernisms.

"I'se really like youse and I didn't realize how much 'til…'til youse were gone. When I'se hoid youse had been taken I'se was furious…ev'ryone I'se care for was bein' kidnapped by Vampiah." His brown eye met hers, "I guess what I'se tryin' ta tell ya is dat I'se want youse to be me goil….But we'se don' gotta if youse just wanna be friends. Or we'se can go slow…"

Emily smiled as her heart pounded, she didn't give the newsboy a minute longer. Shifting her weight onto her good arm, she leaned toward Blink and kissed him. The moment her lips met his she felt like she had been struck by lightning; her body tingled and her heart felt as if it had been jump started by a pair of jumper cables. Blink's arms were suddenly around hers and just as their kiss was about to deepen, Emily jumped in pain and winced.

"I'se so sorry, are youse okay?" Blink was now in front of her looking at her arm and leg.

"I'm alright," Emily forced herself to give a tight smile although her bones were shouting otherwise.

"Awright we'se got everythin' we'se need." Jack and Specs had returned with two large pieces of driftwood, rope, and a large tarp that had once been a ship's sail. Gunslinger cut the sail in half with her knife and told two of her newsies to take it to Spot to wrap Vampire up in.

"Oscar, your shirt is saved," Gunslinger exclaimed.

"Good, cause I'se ain't strippin in front of me sistah!" Oscar replied.

Gunslinger looked ready to say something but a sharp look from Spot caused the two to fall silent. Though every so often as Gunslinger created a stretcher, Emily noticed the newsgirl and Oscar would glance at one another and quickly look away. She smirked and realized the two were attracted to each other. Maybe she wouldn't be the only Delancey falling for a newsie after all. Emily watched Gunslinger tie a section of the rope tightly around one of the pieces of wood, gave the rope some slack, and tied another section around the second piece of wood. She continued to weave the rope and knot it around the wood until the ropes formed zig zags between to the two pieces of rotting drift wood. With Oscar and Morris's help, Gunslinger draped the tarp over the rope and wood.

"Okay, carefully get Emily," Gunslinger instructed, "and put her down in middle of the tarp."

"How did you know to do this?" Blink asked as Oscar carefully tucked his arms under his sister's shoulders and Morris grabbed her knees.

Gunslinger looked over at him, "Mah father was friends with a Lakota Medicine Woman and she showed him. Her people made these all the time for their wounded huntahs and warriors."

Emily winced and tried not to whimper or make too much noise. She knew her brothers were trying to be as gentle as possible and she didn't want them to feel guilty for the pangs of pain she felt throughout her body. It wasn't their faults that Vampire had been a scum bag. When Blink had told her of his death she had to admit she was glad the world was free of at least one psycho; though she felt bad for Spot. Who was watching them sadly as his newsies (some of whom were reluctant to touch a dead body) picked up Vampire's wrapped up body and traveled ahead of them. Oscar and Morris gently set her down onto the tarp and Gunslinger told them to each take one handle; Jack and Blink got the handles on the other side.

Emily grabbed hold of the sides of the stretcher and for a moment felt a little sick as the ropes swung from side to side a little.

"You alright?" Gunslinger asked.

"Yeah this is a lot better, thank you all so much. I promise to make it up to you."

"Youse don' gotta make nothin' up to us," Morris smiled.

"I'se gonna agree wid Morris on dis one," Jack said, "Youse were brave to send Torch ta us and pose as Vampiah's girlfriend. Youse done plenty enough awready."

* * *

They had stopped at Brooklyn for the night and Emily attended Vampire's burial. It had been quiet as Spot and four other boys dug a hole in the small backyard of the Brooklyn lodging house. A Bronx newsboy named Jake read from the bible as Spot and each newsie threw a scoop of dirt over Vampire's tarp covered body. After the ceremony ended, Jack, Blink, Specs, Gunslinger, and a few other newsies finished piling the dirt over Vampire while Spot walked back inside the lodging house with his wife Floaty. Emily watched as a newsgirl stumbled out of the lodging house as Morris and Oscar helped her in.

"Don'cha dare even look at heh," Oscar had snarled at the girl.

Spot stood in the lodging house's lobby with his arms crossed, "Get outta heah Vixen. Don'cha evah show youse face in New Yawk again, youse undahstand meh?"

The newsgirl looked at each newsie with contempt and hate. Four newsboys surrounded her; when Emily asked where they were taking her, Jack simply replied the train station. The next morning, a doctor visited and set Emily's arm and leg bones and wrapped them tightly in a plaster that hardened into casts over the next few hours. He ordered her to have strict bed rest and not to strain herself; Oscar and Morris had returned the milk bottles to Joshua. He reluctantly agreed to take Emily back to Manhattan as long as Oscar went with them; he didn't want her falling off his buggy and getting herself killed or hurt anymore than she was.

The next few weeks in the distribution center were lonely during the day. Her uncle and brothers worked but every morning, afternoon, and evening without fail Blink came into her room to visit her. At first, Oscar and Morris practically hit the ceiling with anger but slowly agreed to allow the newsie into Emily's room as long as one of her brothers stood outside of the open doorway. Her brothers were saints to her and would help her into the washroom when she needed to use the bathroom and would quickly leave until she was done and decent. Gunslinger visited with Floaty twice a week to give Emily a sponge bath and Floaty gave Emily a long wire to scratch under her casts with. Something Emily was thankful for, she couldn't count the number of times her brothers and uncle Weas had snapped at her to stop scratching her casts.

After eight long weeks the doctor came to the distribution center to cut the casts off Emily's arm and leg and gave her brothers and Blink instructions on how to help her move her arm and leg again. Therapy for broken bones was too expensive and the newsies had been angels to Emily by paying for both the doctor's visits and the casts. They had donated three cents after each day of selling papes for the eight long weeks and Emily thanked them countless times. Racetrack had visited quite a few times too, always explaining how the horses never seemed to get the tip that they were supposed to win. She and Race had become friends and when Emily could walk again the newsboy dropped by the distribution center and took her for an afternoon at the Sheepshead races.

Oscar and Morris were glad when Emily's casts had finally healed, she began cooking meals for them and cleaning the house. She helped give the newsies their newspapers and was certain that nothing else could go wrong. Vampire was gone, she was staying with Oscar and Morris, she was in love with her boyfriend, and she the newsies were the closest and most loyal friends a person could ever ask for.

* * *

Bandit watched Emily Delancey as she laughed at her brothers and joined in with their jokes as they traveled through the Manhattan Market together. He made sure to remain within the shadows and snarled.

"Enjoy youselves now," he muttered under his breath, "Because I'se gonna come back one day wid me own newsies and I'se will make youse all pay for what youse did ta Vampiah…starting wid youse," muttered as his gaze followed Emily down the street. He vanished into the shadows just as Emily turned towards an alley way, she felt as if someone had been watching her.

"What's da mattah?" Oscar asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing," Emily replied, "I just thought…I almost felt like I was being watched."

Morris shrugged, "Youse a pretty goil, every man's gonna be payin' attention to youse!"

"I've got a boyfriend and I'm quite happy with him."

Oscar and Morris gave a playful groan; the truce between the newsies and Delanceys had long since ended but the relationship between the Delanceys and newsies had been permanently changed. Although Jack still pushed their buttons which led to the famous morning chase everyone in newsie square enjoyed, the Delanceys and Jack never hurt each other too badly. Most of their 'fights' were playful squabbles. Though at times things would revert back to before the Newsie War but before a full blown fight could take place Oscar's girlfriend, Gunslinger, would arrive for a visit; Emily would tell her brothers to cut it out; or Spot, upon visiting, would let the three boys fight until it was out of their systems.

It wasn't until eight months later that rumors began to fly of a new Brownsville newsboy leader; people described him as tough and sadistic. His goal was to finish what Harlem had started and end Brooklyn's reign once and for all. The rumors flew and Spot had been certain the leader was Bandit but later learned it was a 12 year old newsboy who had idolized Vampire. Spot was always alert though, especially after hearing that Emily Delancey swore she felt someone watching her, and knew deep inside Bandit or some other of Vampire's goons would one day return for revenge. When that day came, Spot would be ready.


End file.
